Mary L. (Kacos) Slater, age 94, of Woburn and Vero Beach, FL, passed away on August 7, 2021. She was the beloved wife of the late John Slater.
Born in Winthrop, MA, Mary was the daughter of the late Carl G. and Louise (DiSessa) Kacos. She was raised and educated in East Boston and graduated from East Boston High School and Fisher College in Boston. Mary then went to work with her father, and helped him run Harbor View Laundry in East Boston. She went on to open Ideal Cleaners in Revere and Quincy. With her impeccable style, she expanded the cleaners into dress shops, with locations in Revere, Quincy, Stoneham and Wakefield. Mary’s keen business mind and entrepreneurial spirit also included ownership of several Emack & Bolio’s ice cream shops on Cape Cod.
In her spare time, Mary enjoyed nothing better than being together with family and friends - at home, on the Cape or in Vero Beach. Her door was always open, and her kids and grandchildren loved to visit. She also loved shopping, and picking out special gifts for everybody in the family, especially the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mary was the loving mother of Robert Traina of Boston, Mark Traina and his wife, Gail, of Stoneham, the late Thomas Traina and his surviving wife, Janice, of Marstons Mills, and step-mother of Sharon Rep, Ed Slater and Debra Tompkins. She was the devoted grandmother “Nina” of Marisa, Mark, Sean, Max and Jaclyn, and great-grandmother of Caroline, Lucy, Thomas, Nate and Henry. Mary is further survived by several nieces and nephews and leaves behind many wonderful friends in Vero Beach. She was predeceased by a sister, Georgia Tonry.
Funeral Services are private. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and mailed to Memorials Processing, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105-9959. www.stjude.org.