Donald Roy Slife was born May 9, 1931 in Englewood, CO. Don was the eldest of four sons of Elmer and Dosha Bailey Slife. Don attended Eagleton and Barnum Elementary Schools and graduated from West High School in 1949. At age 18 he married Lyda June Cothron of Englewood, on December 30, 1949 at Englewood First Christian Church by Pastor Sherman H. Miller.
At age 19, Don and Lyda entered Missionary Training with New Tribes Mission, serving twice in Bolivia, South America, and on staff in the NTM Missionary Training Program for five years in Wisconsin and Missouri.
Don and Lyda observed their 50th Wedding Anniversary in December, 1999 and were married for 68 years and 10 months at Lyda's passing.
After working in the Electrical trade non-union from age 17, Don later served 22 years in Local 68 Electrical IBEW Union as a Commercial Electrician. After his retirement from Lakewood in 1999, he worked part time as Electrical Inspector for Lakewood and Arapahoe County.
Don ministered in a weekly Voluntary Chaplaincy work at the Federal Correctional Institution from 1983-85; and from Dec. 1985 to March 2014 at the Denver County Jail. He directed the Grace Evangelistic Ministries volunteer group at the Denver County Jail from January, 1990 to March 1, 2014. He was a member of the Red Rocks Baptist Church.
Don began researching his genealogy in 1980, organizing his mother's history records on the computer and through intense search in person at County Courthouses and on the internet documented over 15,000 persons in the associated families. Families were organized with documentation, pictures and memorabilia in may notebooks, which he continually added to over the years. Genealogy also thrust him into history as never before, making him a history buff as well. He jokingly called himself, 'Don, the Super-sleuth of Genealogy'.
His most enjoyable times were found in God's Word, the Bible. He did multiple writings about the truths of God's Word, for doctrinal theses and handouts which he distributed to inmates at the Denver County Jail, or for however they might be used.
Don is survived by his five children, 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Evangelistic Ministries P.O. Box 461362 Aurora, CO 80046.
