Joseph D. Slater, 82, of Fort Wayne, died Sunday August 16, 2026 at Kingston Residence. Joe was born in Fort Wayne on April 17, 1944, the son of (the late) Berdell and Antoinette (Sorg) Slater. He married Phyllis (Driver) Slater on August 1, 1964, and she preceded him in death on May 4, 2016. Joe was also preceded by a great-granddaughter, Eloise Slater; brothers, Jim Slater, Dewalt Slater, Denver Slater; and a sister, Nancy Bordner.

Survivors include his daughter, Christine (Dalaun) Seavers; sons, Mark Slater and Dean (Chassidy) Slater, all of Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Kevin (Hannah) Slater, Jeremy Slater, Tyler Slater, all of Fort Wayne, and Michael Koogler of Garrett; great-grandchildren, Isabelle, Landon, Elliott, Norah, Ingrid, Jack, Camilla and Scarlytte Slater; brother, John Slater of Nashville IN and sister, Mary Pringer of Fort Wayne.

Joe retired from Fort Wayne City Utilities after 26 years with the city. He enjoyed meeting his friends from work for their breakfast gatherings. He cherished the time he spent with Phyllis and their grandchildren; he liked to go camping, travelling with Phyllis, attending shows and events at the Embassy Theater, often joined by brothers & sisters, and nieces & nephews. Joe was a good husband, father, grandfather, & friend, who will be dearly missed.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday August 22, 2026, at Divine Mercy Funeral Home, 3500 Lake Avenue, with visitation from 12-2pm. The family’s preferred memorial is Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana, online at cancer-services.org or by mail to 6316 Mutual Drive, Ft Wayne IN 46825. To share a remembrance of Joe or to offer condolences, please visit DivineMercyFuneralHome.com.

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