Agnes Grace Slingland (nee Hearn) of West Milford passed away peacefully on Sept. 19, 2024. She was a week shy of her 94th birthday.
Agnes was born on Sept. 27, 1930, in Wayne to Sidney and Lydia (Van Harken) Hearn. She graduated from Pompton Lakes High School in 1947.
Agnes raised her family with Edward C. Slingland to whom she was married for 40 years.
She retired from the Consumer Loan Department at Valley National Bank as a valued employee at age 86.
Family was paramount in her life. Agnes was a devoted and loving mother who was described by her children as reliable, honest and hard-working.
She was well-known for her love of giraffes, which delighted her grandchildren, and eventually great-grandchildren, who would run around her house counting her many giraffe collectibles.
She enjoyed her daily 1.5-mile walk around High Crest Lake until well into her 80s and in more recent years loved nothing more than enjoying her exquisite view of the sparkling water from her living room sofa.
Agnes is lovingly survived by her daughter Linda (Slingland) Di Donato; son, Edward Slingland and his wife Nancy; daughter Cindy (Slingland) Lynch and her husband Chris; granddaughter, Lindsay (Di Donato) Van Schepen and her husband David; grandson, Mark Di Donato and his wife Marlena; brother, Gordon Hearn and his wife Kay; and two great-grandchildren.
The family takes great comfort in knowing that Agnes is now reunited with her dear son, Mark Slingland, who she lost to childhood cancer at age 6. She was also predeceased by her parents; brother Frank Hearn; sister-in-law Sherry Hearn; and son-in-law Joe Di Donato.
There will be a private memorial service at the Morrison Etheridge Funeral Home followed by the burial at Laurel Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.