Kenneth Duane Sloat
Kenneth Duane Sloat, 82, of Goodyear, Arizona, formerly of La Grange and Sterling, Illinois, joined his heavenly Father on July 1, 2018. Beloved husband of Joan (Speaker) Sloat for 60 years; loving father of Christine (Mark) Weaver; Douglas (Tina) Sloat; Margo (Peter) Mahoney; brother of Lynn (Paul) Smith; Diane (Alvin) Rude; devoted uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather; a retired secondary Newman Catholic and Lyons Township teacher and coach of 38 years; an active Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus who enjoyed his many friends and activities that included fishing in Canada, bocce ball, woodcarving, table pool and travel. Kenneth “Kenny” was preceded in death by his parents Merle Sloat and Lola (Jacob) Hackbarth. A Funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Avondale on Wednesday, July 18, 2018; a Celebration of Life reception immediately followed at PebbleCreek Eagle’s Nest Ballroom. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 13720 W. Thomas Road, Avondale, Arizona, 85392.
Jytte Terns
Jytte Terns, age 80, of Goodyear, AZ passed away on June 25, 2018 in Goodyear, AZ. She was born March 31, 1938 in Sonderborg, Denmark to Peter and Dagmar Christensen. The family moved to Ribe, Denmark not long after her birth and she spent her earliest years there. This was home to Jytte and she and her family still loved to travel there to visit. At the age of ten she emigrated to the United States where her family lived and worked on a farm in Middletown, NY. They later moved to Oakland Valley and Jytte graduated from Monticello, NY High School. After graduation she attended the State University of New York in Oswego. It was at college that she met her husband Ed. They were married in 1960 and Jytte graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1961. Together they raised two daughters, Heather and Melissa.
The family moved from NY State to Tewksbury, MA where Jytte earned her master’s degree from nearby University of Massachusetts Lowell. In 1974 the family moved to Rutland, VT and Jytte received advanced certification from the University of Vermont. She became the Director of Education for the Vermont Achievement Center and went on to become the principal of Southeast Elementary School, Dana Elementary School and Northeast Elementary School. She retired in 1999 and moved with her husband to the PebbleCreek community in Goodyear, AZ.
Outgoing and welcoming, Jytte had many friends. She enjoyed being with people and liked to play tennis and golf. She loved to read and founded the Page Turners Book Club at PebbleCreek. She also enjoyed gardening and was fond of travel. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family. Patient and loving, she relished the time that she spent with her grandchildren and loved teaching her granddaughter how to cook and bake. She prided herself on being the matriarch of such a wonderful family.
Jytte is survived by her husband Ed Terns; daughters, Melissa Terns, Heather Gold; sister Henny Newcomb; and three grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held later in the fall.
Condolences for the family may be left at www.ThompsonFuneralChapel.com.