Curt Slabaugh

IRONWOOD, Mich. - Curt Slabaugh was known as the unofficial, but acknowledged, "Mayor" of Black River Harbor Village shortly after moving there when he retired at age 55 as an elementary school principal in Rockford, Illinois.

He moved there with his wife, Betsy, and stayed until they both moved again to Westgate Assisted Living Facility in Ironwood in October of 2022.

At 91 years young, Curt passed away at Westgate after a struggle with Parkinson's Disease and dementia. As a dad, husband, grandpa and brother, he had such a rich and full life that he self-published his autobiography - loaded with life details - in 2017.

Curt was born in Chicago to parents Ruth (Bowman) and Glenn Slabaugh. He was the second of six eventual sons: James, who passed in 2024; Paul, who passed in 2023; Richard, who is living in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, Jannan; David, who passed passed in 2022; and Steven of LaGrande, Oregon.

In August of 1953, in between his sophomore and junior years at Manchester College in Indiana, Curt married Marcia A. Haney after she graduated from the same college. He graduated in 1955.

They produced four children: Gary; Judy, who lives with her husband, Craig Baker, in Arvada, Colorado; Bill who lives with his wife, Suzanne, in Clarksville, Tennessee; and Richard, who passed in 1983. Marcia predeceased him in 2021.

Curt then joined the U.S. Army in 1956 for two years, serving at the Army Intelligence School. Curt taught high school history for two years, sixth grade for three years, and then became an elementary school principal for the remainder of his career until June of 1988.

Curt married Elizabeth (Betsy) Isaacson in November of 1971. They were constant companions and enjoyed an enduring marriage of almost 53 years.

Curt fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming a pilot in 1976. He continued his flight training and received his instrument/instructor rating, helping students in getting their private pilot licenses. He partnered to purchase a four-place Grumman Traveler, a plane that took him, his family and friends on many wonderful adventures.

Curt was outgoing, gregarious, sociable and friendly. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. He enjoyed rafting, canoeing, hiking, snowmobiling, ATV riding, skiing, tennis, volleyball and croquet. One of his many labors of love was hiking, cross country skiing, ATVing, sledding and snowmobiling on the trails he created behind his and Betsy's home on Black River Road, only one mile from Black River Harbor on Lake Superior in Upper Michigan. These trails will last until the Ottawa National Forest eventually reclaims them. Curt even loved having a permit to harvest fallen trees, close to these trails. He hauled chunks of wood out of the forest with his customized ATV and then processed them with his hydraulic wood splitter. Alas, all good things ... the time finally came to replace the wood-burning stoves with a propane-fueled furnace.

Curt is further survived by six grandchildren, Kristin, Jennifer, Josh, Vanessa, Katrina and Jessica; six great-grandchildren: Kaiya, Savannah, Braden, Phoenix, Lexi and Tara; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

There will be a visitation at Sharon Lutheran Church, 100 E. Sellar St., in Bessemer, Michigan, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, followed by a memorial service at the church.

Following the service, there will be a Celebration of Life and send-off party in the pavilion at the park at Black River Harbor. Please come to share your memories.

The family has chosen the McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home in Ironwood to honor Curt's legacy of life. To make an online condolence, visit McKevittPatrickFuneralHome.com.