Ruby Jeannette Slagle (née LeDrew)

Ruby Jeannette Slagle, beloved mother, grand to great-great grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on May 25, 2025, in Mesa, Arizona, at the age of 96.

Born on December 17, 1928, in Hampden, Newfoundland, the large island east of Canada, while this was still a territory of England. Jeannette lived a full and vibrant life marked by service, creativity, and deep devotion to her family and community. She completed finishing school in Laurenceton, Newfoundland and started work as a bookkeeper in accounting (she was always good with numbers) at the United States Harmon Air Force Base about the time that Newfoundland joined Canada as a new province.

Throughout her life, Jeannette wore many hats — military wife, licensed cosmetologist, graphologist, and skilled bookkeeper in medical offices before computers. She was a gracious and compassionate leader, serving as President of an Officer’s Wives Club at Columbus Air Force Base as well as a first-generation volunteer of the Family Service Casualty Committee. As the wife of an Air Force family, Jeannette lived in many locations, from her birthplace of Newfoundland, Canada to Georgia, New York, Mississippi, Louisiana, Hawaii, Massachusetts, back to Mississippi and finally retiring in Arizona where she could be close to her daughter’s family. Her longevity allowed her to have 5 living generations in her family with new great-great grandchildren in 2024 & 2025.

Jeannette’s creativity and zest for life shone through her hobbies and passions, which included baking, entertaining, sewing, needlepoint, knitting, Ikebana floral arrangements, ceramics and painting. She was also an avid bowler and golfer in her earlier years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lester and Mary LeDrew; siblings Eric, Sybil, and Ruth; and her husbands, Robert DeWitt and James Slagle.

Jeannette is lovingly remembered by:

• Her sister, Shirley Yaw and from all her siblings, several nieces and nephews and their children in both Canada and the United States
• Her daughter, Mimi Lawrence, and son-in-law Dennis Lawrence
  • Their children: Jonathan Lawrence (wife Stacia) and Adrian Post (husband Stuart)
  • Between them, nine great-grandchildren: Carson (wife Sara), Kilynn, Ruger (wife Madi), Shealynn (husband Asher), Bria (wife Dawson) and Kylie, Kaleb, Kolby, and Austin Post
  • And two great-great-grandchildren: Beau (parents: Carson & Sara) and Lyla (parents: SheaLynn & Asher)
• Her son, Breck DeWitt, and daughter-in-law Carolyn DeWitt
  • His children: Joshua DeWitt (wife Katie, and their children Ava and Nathan), Eric DeWitt, and Ashley DeWitt

Funeral Service

Bunkers Family Funeral – University Chapel
3529 East University Drive
Mesa, Arizona

Family and friends are invited to attend and celebrate Jeannette’s extraordinary life.

Saturday, June 14th — Visitation beginning at 10:30 a.m. with service at 11:00 a.m.

In Lieu of Flowers

Donations in Jeannette’s memory may be made to the National Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.