Tex R. Sluder

The youngest son of Charles Wesley and Charlotte Elizabeth Sluder, Tex demonstrated his innate leadership abilities in his very early years to the large Sluder family, and continued that leadership in his schools, his community, and in his chosen profession. A senior superlative and student body President at Thomasville High School, his next four years were at the University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, where he graduated in 1955. Having followed the NROTC program at UNC, he paid his years to the U.S. Navy before settling in Greensboro, N. C. to begin his career as a Certified Public Accountant. After his beginning years with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., the major portion of his professional longevity was as an internal auditor for Hoechst Celanese in Charlotte, where he had relocated his young family, in New York City, and back home in Charlotte again. He held offices and served in multiple positions on the Board of the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. (NCACPA)

When retirement provided the freedom of discretionary time, Tex enjoyed golf, running for charitable fund-raisers, and travel, but continued to offer much of his time to various forms of community service – most notably, his many years in leadership and manual labor for the Charlotte Habitat for Humanity cause. Community service was second only to his devotion to his faith and to his church life, having been elected to serve as a Deacon in both his congregations.

Throughout his entire life, wherever Tex was, he found a music outlet, having inherited his tenor voice from his Dad’s Irish tenor. From his three-year-old solos to entertain his Uncle Clarence’s buddies, to city-wide festival and performances in Thomasville and Davidson County, to the barbershop quartets of high school, and on to decades in the Sanctuary Choir at St. John’s Baptist Church before finally extending his love of music and singing to both the Sanctuary Choir and the Encore Singers at Providence Baptist Church. To be sure, we know he’s already found a Heavenly Choir.

He was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers: Millis, Dalton, Bastal, and Oquin Sluder; one sister, Bonese S. Britt; and former wives, Helen Maynard Sluder and Rebecca Mundy Sluder. Remaining to be blessed by his loving legacies are his wife of thirteen years, Mary Jennings Sluder of the home; daughter, Sharon Sluder Risch (Larry) of Kendall Park, N.J.; sons, Jeffrey (Ginger) of Skillman, N.J. and Douglas (Anne) of Charlotte; grandchildren: Samantha, Jess, Helen, Jason, Katie, and Matthew; brother, Raynall of Kent, England; sister, Ruby S. Nesbitt of Virginia Beach, Va.; and a clan of caring cousins, nieces and nephews.

A service of celebration and remembrance will be conducted by the Rev. Dr. Lee Canipe at Providence Baptist Church, 4921 Randolph Road, Charlotte, N.C. on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 1:00 p.m., followed by a time of visitation and reception in the Church’s Rotunda area. A graveside service with Military Honors will be held on Wednesday, May 10 at 2:00 p.m., at Montlawn Cemetery in Raleigh, N.C.

In lieu of floral gifts, memorials to honor Tex’s life may be made to Habitat for Humanity-Charlotte (P. O. Box 220289, Charlotte, N. C. 28222-0287) or to the charity of one’s choice.