Freda Mae Slack

Freda Mae Slack 

May 11, 1942 – January 28, 2025 

It is with a heavy heart and great sorrow that we confirm that our beloved mother, Freda Mae Slack, passed away on January 28, 2025 at the age of 82 in Sacramento, CA. She was surrounded by her loving family, friends and those who cared for her. 

Born on May 11, 1942 in Harrison, Arkansas, Freda was the second child to the late Andy Springer and Mary Ruth Welch. She lived in Arkansas for the first 9 years of her life before relocating to Sacramento with her family. She graduated from McClatchy High in 1960 and began working as a Key Punch Operator Trainee at the age of 20 for the State of California. For the next 35 years, she rose through the ranks before retiring in 1998 as a Business Services Officer III for the Department of General Services.

Freda was a loving wife to Teddy Slack for over 53 years and is survived by her children Julie Holt (Steven), Jenee San Filippo (Keith), and Leanora Abbs. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren: Joshua Holt (Betsy), Jacob Holt (Laura), Jonathon Holt (Shelby), Jacquie Wheat (Donovan), Jennifer Berg, Dominic San Filippo, Alex San Filippo, Cameron Smith (Abbi), Kaleigh Hobson (James), Samantha Loxton (Harry), Aaron Abbs (Lottie) and Emily Abbs. She was also known as “GGMa” or Great-Grandmother to her 12 amazing great-grandchildren.

Freda was preceded in death and met at the gates of Heaven by both her parents as well as Parker Springer (brother), Anna Enos (sister), David Berg (son) and Susan Smith (stepdaughter), along with so many other treasured family and friends.

Those that knew Freda well, knew that she was an avid reader and Sci-Fi aficionado. She loved all things Star Trek, astronomy, space, the moon and stars, and often dreamed of being among the first female astronauts in space. Freda loved her countless overseas adventures and the cruises to exotic places, but it was the spot by the ocean in Monterey Bay that truly captured her heart. She could sit for hours admiring the sunsets and stargazing on the beach. 

As a lifelong enthusiast of space and space exploration, in particular the promotion of women in space and its related fields, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Freda Mae Slack’s memory to Women in Aerospace at https://www.womeninaerospacefoundation.org/foundation/donation.html.

A funeral service to honor and celebrate Freda Mae’s life will be held at East Lawn Elk Grove Mortuary located at 9189 E. Stockton Blvd, Elk Grove, CA, on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 10:00 AM with interment immediately following. Family and friends are invited to attend to pay their respects and share their memories. 

In the final words of her favorite Star Trek character -

“Set a course for home.” --- Captain Janeway, Starship Voyager ---