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Dr. Francis W. Slate – former Mocksville mayor, county commissioner, surgeon and a champion of Davie County – died last week.
He was 102, and had called Mocksville his home for some 65 years.
“To live till the age of 102 was an accomplishment. But to live those years as fully as he did, helping others in a way only he could. That was extraordinary,” his son, Kenneth Slate, wrote on Facebook. He is also survived by daughters Jillian Gatewood and Moira Slate.
Dr. Slate grew up and got his initial medical training in South Africa. He and wife Daphne decided to move to the United States, and after medical residencies, he looked at a list of places that needed surgeons.
Davie County had just opened a new hospital, but didn’t have a surgeon. It was at the bottom of the list, but Dr. Slate chose Davie over other, more financially lucrative career options.
Imagine the county’s first surgeon arriving, dashing with a South African accent. He had to earn acceptance, and did it with a skilled surgeon’s hands, a caring attitude towards all people, and a smile and a way about him that just made people like him.
“My father was a good and decent man,” his son wrote. “My father poured his heart into providing a service to his community … with dedication and compassion.”
Other online comments about Dr. Slate echoed those sentiments:
Harry Little: “I was honored to work with him when I was a new physician in Mocksville. He told me to be patient, as it takes a while for an outsider to be accepted. He was a wonderful mentor. I will always remember and honor the memory of Dr. Francis Slate.”
Marie Collins: “I loved Dr. Slate. He was the (A Storehouse for Jesus) first medical ministries director and also went to Ghana with us one year. It was an honor to work with him.”
Melinda Beauchamp: “He was my favorite mayor … really my favorite person in this county. He was kind, generous, courteous, gentle, loveable and therefore so loved by this entire community. We have lost a true gentleman.”
Barbara Owens: “His love for mankind showed in his day to day life.”
Laura Barnhardt: “He was a wonderful doctor plus a great friend to many of us.”
Dr. Slate had served as a county commissioner for 12 years, a town board member for 10 years, and Mocksville mayor for 18 years.
Among his accomplishments: He was among the first doctors in town to allow blacks to enter the front door of his practice. He paid for the college education for two young black men. He supported Doctors Without Borders, and participated in multiple humanitarian missions.
His son wrote about going along with his father on medical rounds. “I saw firsthand the respect and gratitude he earned from his patients. Then, years later, some of those same people would approach him in the grocery store and tell of their appreciation for a procedure he had done. There were thousands of them.. At the time of his retirement, he had over 35,000 patient files. A staggering number, my father’s biggest legacy is written on the faces of the people in those files.”
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at Davie Funeral Service on Valley Road. He will be buried at a later date Rose Cemetery.