Thomas Anthony Sladek

Thomas (“Tom”) Anthony Sladek, PhD, born January 27, 1944 in Traverse City, Michigan, transitioned from this life at his home in Lakewood, Colorado on August 12, 2026 due to metastatic prostate cancer.

He is survived by his wife and best friend, Patricia; their three daughters, Allison Greer (Kirk) of Evanston, IL, Liz Rutledge (Rob) of Denver, and Lisa Voit (Alan) of Arvada; grandchildren Jenna, Devon, and Sydney Rutledge, Libby and Josie Greer, Jessica Seery (Kyle) and Mitch Beamer (Kim); and great-grandchildren Paisley and Wesley. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Holly, to whom he donated his kidney to help prolong her life during her battle with Lupus.

With degrees in chemical, metallurgic, and petroleum refining engineering from the University of Michigan and the Colorado School of Mines, Tom made contributions to the study of oil shale production and other large-scale energy projects as president of the energy division of The Colorado School of Mines Research Institute and through his independent consulting business, Ockham Energy Services.

Tom was educated, well-traveled, always curious, and had a keen sense of humor. He was also an excellent woodworker, builder, tinkerer, skier, mountain man, regular shopper at ReStore (Habitat for Humanity), and a lover of travel, music, and movies. He was the definition of a “handyman,” always ready to help his family and neighbors, seeking to find joy in life and give joy to others.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 10:00 am MT at Faith Church Prayer Chapel, 6250 Wright Street, Arvada Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Habitat for Humanity or The University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center Research Fund.