Date of death: 6/24/2019
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1959
Dr. Pierre Eduard Slightam, age 85, of De Pere, passed away peacefully on June 24th, 2019, after a short battle with pneumonia. He was born on November 8th, 1933, in Madison, WI to the late Francis and Marjorie (Brinkhoff) Slightam.
Pierre enjoyed a full and adventurous life, which included the exhilaration of winning the 1949 Madison Soap Box Derby as a teen, traveling the country by rail with his family as his mother performed on the Hammond organ in high-end hotels of the day, attending St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana, graduating from UW-Madison School of Medicine, working summers as a tree trimmer, serving as a Naval Flight Surgeon in Kodiak, Alaska, and practicing Family Medicine in the Green Bay and Wrightstown areas. He was an avid skier, tennis and handball player, and thoroughly enjoyed music, musicals, and singing anytime and anywhere he got the chance, right up to the end! Pierre met his wife, Margaret Rose (Koerner), while attending medical school in Madison. They married in 1958, and together raised 8 children.
Pierre’s written final directives requested a simple, two-word obituary: “Weep not!” He added, “Keep this parting short and sweet, and get on with living! Thanks for helping me try to be whatever I was…weep not, I had a ball!” This, however, seems insufficient to honor his expansive legacy. He possessed a commanding presence, a booming laugh, a generous heart, a searching intellect, and a keen interest in the fate and foibles of the human spirit, even as he tussled with his own. Many favorite sayings of Pierre’s come to mind for almost any situation! He will be long remembered for the impact he made on the lives of many.
Pierre was preceded in death by his parents, Francis and Marjorie Slightam, and his wife, Margaret Rose (Koerner) Slightam. He is survived by his siblings: Colette Wolff, New York, NY; Lucretia Danielson, Omaha, NE; and Warren Slightam, Prentice, WI. He is also survived by his children: Karen (Richard) Russell, Monon, IN; Julie Slightam, Milwaukee, WI; Colleen (Neil) Hermus, Green Bay, WI; Maria (James) Powell, Madison, WI; Jennifer Slightam, Ojai, CA; Laura (David) Diny, Greenleaf, WI; Michelle Slightam (Bob Amble) West Allis, WI; and Daniel (Juliana Viveralli) Slightam, Portland, OR. He is also survived by nineteen grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.