Patricia Beverly (Baker) Sluggett

Patricia Beverly (Baker) Sluggett, age 90, passed away on August 30, 2020. Beverly was born on January 25, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan to Ann and Ted Baker. Until she started school, she lived on a farm in the Pontiac area, the experience of which was profound and positive. Childhood and high school friends remained precious to her throughout her life. She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1948 and later attended the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston in 1951. She then interned at the University of California in San Francisco. She remained in San Francisco for several years before returning to Detroit in 1955. There, she met and later married Jerome Sluggett. She and Jerry had two children, Jeff and Jennifer, and the family lived in the metropolitan Detroit area until Jerry’s retirement in the mid-90’s when they moved to Grand Rapids. Following a desire for new adventure in retirement, they moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania until Jerry’s death in 2005.  Beverly returned to East Grand Rapids until her death. She will be remembered as someone who was an extremely outgoing person; Beverly loved meeting and talking and sharing opinions with others. She was a voracious reader and lover of beauty and with Jerry an avid collector of antiques. She seemed happiest in a lively conversation at dinner (or anywhere else). She was active in volunteer work throughout her adult years.  She loved animals of all kinds and had a deep and special appreciation of horses. During her lifetime, she had dozens of animal companions.  From mid-life onwards she was a seeker of spiritual understanding. Beverly is survived by her son, Jeff (Mary) of East Grand Rapids, Michigan; daughter, Jennifer Dyson of Honey Brook, Pennsylvania; grandchildren, Meghan (Steve) Fleck, Jeffrey (Jaki) Dyson, Carter Dyson, Madeline Dyson, Hannah Sluggett, Jeremiah Sluggett, and Benjamin Sluggett; as well as great-grandchildren, Graceyn Fleck and Hannah Fleck. She was a fun (and loved) grandma. Interment will be at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, Michigan on Saturday, September 19 at 1:00 pm.  A memorial service will follow at Dharma Gate Zen Center in Troy, Michigan at 2:00 pm. She was an avid supporter of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen (1820 Mt. Elliott Street, Detroit, Michigan 48207) and animal support operations such as Angels Haven Horse Rescue (13297 Durkee Road, Grafton, Ohio 44044), and the Leader Dogs for the Blind (1039 S Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, Michigan 48307) and donations in her name to such entities would be a fitting tribute.