Mary Lou Slaughter

Mary Lou Slaughter, a beloved mother, grandmother, and artist, passed away peacefully on November 2, 2026, in Port Orchard, Washington, at 88. She was born July 16, 1938, in Bremerton, Washington, and remained a child of the Pacific Northwest her whole life, at home among its waters and cedar forests.

Mary Lou was artistic by nature. She was a painter, she quilted, she did ceramics, and she was a Master Native American basket weaver. She gave generously of that talent and of her time, serving as President of the Quilters Guild and as an active member of the Boys and Girls Club. Her humor was dry and quick, and one wry remark from Mary Lou could dissolve a tense room into laughter.

Her generosity took the shape of hundreds of quilts, stitched for people living without homes. Each was warm, sturdy, and a small promise that someone had been thought of.

Mary Lou was a Christian in faith, though she wore it lightly. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, and by her parents, and she is at rest beside them now.

She is survived by her children, Theodore "Ted," David, Lorraine, and Michael; 15 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-grandchildren. To them she leaves quilts, bowls, baskets, and the memory of a woman who never stopped making things with her hands. A memorial service is planned for Port Orchard, where she will be laid to rest beside Charles.