Arden Slotter
March 3, 1932 - July 5, 2022
You are invited to join Arden’s family and friends to celebrate his life on Sat, Sept 10 at 3pm at First Mennonite Church. If you are unable to attend in person, return to this page to watch a livestream of the service. The video will also be available after the service.
Richard Arden Slotter, age 90, died on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in his home at Wind Crest Retirement Community, Highlands Ranch, CO. He survived his sister Phyllis Yoder and is survived by his wife Joan (Gratz) Slotter of nearly 68 years and their three children, Susan Slotter of Santa Fe, NM, Sharon (Slotter) Gordon of Loveland, CO and Steven (Ann Rosewall) Slotter of Castle Pines, CO; two sisters, Margaret Groesbeck of Peterborough, NH and JoAnn Yukman of Medina, OH, his brother John Slotter of Old Chatham, NY; twin grandchildren, Geoffrey Gaspord of Chicago, IL and Bryan (Joelle) Gaspord of Ft. Collins, CO; four great-grandchildren, Eric, David, Jonathan, and Emily Gaspord of Ft. Collins, CO. Born in Souderton, PA, he was the son of John Franklin and Elsie (Clymer) Slotter.
Arden graduated from Souderton High School, PA, and Bluffton College, OH, where he met and married Joan. After obtaining a doctorate degree in chemistry in 1958, from the University of Michigan, he and Joan returned to Bluffton where he taught in the Science Department at Bluffton College for six years. In 1964, Arden, Joan and their three young children moved to Istanbul, Turkey where he taught Chemistry at Robert College for seven years. During the summer months, the family travelled extensively in Europe with side trips to Israel, Egypt and Russia.
In 1971, the family returned to the United States for a one-year interim position at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA and in 1972 moved to Evanston, IL where Arden continued in academia at Northwestern University for fourteen years. In 1986, Arden and Joan found themselves in Bluffton, OH, where he again worked at Bluffton College as Dean for three years and Chemistry Professor for another eleven years. Their last move in 1999 brought Arden and Joan to the suburbs of Denver, CO, to be closer to their children.
In retirement Arden and Joan continued their travel adventures with extensive trips in their camper van, visiting friends, family and National Parks across the United States, also Canada and Alaska. They went on summer trips to Germany, France, Italy, England and Croatia accompanied by their son, Steve. Arden’s free time was consumed with his favorite activities—playing the trombone, singing, dancing, and writing. He was active in gun violence prevention programs. Both Arden and Joan were members of First Mennonite Church of Denver for over twenty years.