Obituary of The Rev. James Slack

The Rev. James Cooper Simmons Slack, 85, of Niles, retired Episcopal Priest, passed away suddenly of natural causes on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at Lakeland Community Hospital in Niles. He was born on February 23, 1937 in St. Louis, Missouri as the only child of Morris Cooper and Dorothy Eleanor (Simmons) Slack. After graduating high school, Father Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army. It was in the Army that he served as the assistant to the chaplain and started his work in the ministry which led to a lifetime of serving as an Episcopal Priest. He graduated from Earlham College and went on to attend Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, where he received his Bachelor of Divinity Degree. It was while attending seminary Father Jim would meet the love of his life, Karen M. Fricke and the two were married on August 31, 1963 at St. Augustine Episcopal Church in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He received his first calling to the White Earth Indian Reservation as well as St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hutchison, Minnesota. He continued his missions work with the Chippewa Indian Tribe while at the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation. A few years later he and his wife would move to Cincinnati where he would serve three congregations. He then accepted a call to pastor at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church for over 18 years in Circleville, Ohio. A few years later Father Jim and Karen moved to Mexico, Missouri serving the church there. From there Father Jim and Karen took the call to pastor three churches in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. Father Jim retired and he and his wife moved to Niles, Michigan where he was the Priest In Charge at Trinity Episcopal Church until a full-time pastor could be named. Father Jim was an avid reader and collected British toy soldiers his entire lifetime. He was very artistic and spent countless hours building model airplanes and enjoyed gardening. He was preceded in death by his parents. Father Jim is survived by his wife, Karen Slack of Niles; his children, Corrine (Tim) Slack-Lane of Marysville, Ohio, Valerie (Dan) Slack-Hugus of Circleville, Ohio and John Cooper Simmons (Michelle) Slack of Mishawaka, Indiana; five grandchildren, Joseph Hugus (McKayla Swackhammer) of Ashville, Ohio, Reed Hugus (Kaylyn Carroll) of Lancaster, Ohio, Jacob Slack of Indianapolis, Indiana, Jonah Slack of Bloomington, Indiana and Ava Corrine Slack of Mishawaka; and an adopted granddaughter, Alexis Bashara of Niles. Funeral services will be held on Sunday April 24, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. James at 117 N. LaFayette Blvd. #1507, South Bend, Indiana 46601 with a time of visitation at 1 pm followed by the service at 2pm. Memorial contributions may be made in Father Jim’s memory to a charity of one's choice, the Cathedral of St. James or Trinity Episcopal Church at 9 S. 4th Street, Niles, Michigan 49120. Condolences and memories may be shared with his family at www.BrownFuneralHomeNiles.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services.