Arnold L. Slavet
Arnie Slavet lived a full life and was passionately dedicated to his family, faith, friends, community, and clients. He was born in Boston on March 12, 1933 to Sam and Esther Slavet, his beloved parents who fled persecution in Ukraine and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s. Sam was a master plumber and Esther kept the books and helped manage the business. Arnie spent his early years in Mattapan, and was a graduate of Boston Latin School. He was one of the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Harvard in 1954, and from the Boston University School of Law in 1957. Arnie ran for the Massachusetts State Senate in 1958 with the rallying cry “You’ll Have it with Slavet”, which his parents broadcast by megaphone throughout the neighborhood; he was runner-up to the entrenched incumbent.
During his 55-year legal career he faithfully advised countless organizations and individuals. Arnie was tirelessly conscientious and prided himself on serving his clients with integrity. Before the advent of laptops and smartphones, he was the undeclared master of the sticky-note. He started out at Ritvo, Gordon, Rosenberg, served as a partner at Lapin, Rosen, Goldberg, Slavet, Levinson & Wekstein, and then led his own practice at Arnold L. Slavet Estate Planning, P.C. Arnie was a Founding Member of the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys, and served on the Legal Advisory Board for the American Business Association. He was also a contributing author of The Living Trust Workbook (Viking Penguin, 1994). Arnie’s support of his community led him to Chair the Executive Board of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and serve on the boards of the Cambridge Biomedical Laboratory and the Vilna Shul. In 1980 he was of counsel for the 249 A Street Cooperative Corporation, the first limited equity artists-owned building in the United States.
He was a member of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, and of the Vilna Shul in the West End of Beacon Hill, and his unapologetic, aspiring cantor voice could often be heard above the crowd. His lifelong commitment to Judaism and the State of Israel made him a supporter of the New England Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, through which he sponsored scholarships for eighteen IDF combat veterans.
Arnie was dedicated to wellness and personal development and sustained a daily meditation practice for 50 years. Arnie loved to cook for his family and touted that each dish was his “best evah”, while occasionally indulging in a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream for dessert. He celebrated his 50th birthday by running the Boston Marathon, and looked forward to gardening each Spring. A 50-year member of Pine Brook Country Club in Weston, MA, he loved to golf with friends.
He was predeceased by his twin sister Lila Hersh Yellin, his older sister Janet Bensky, and his parents Esther and Samuel Slavet. Arnie is survived by his wife Polly Slavet, his brother Gerald Slavet, his former wife Ruth Mordecai, his sons James & Jon Slavet and their wives Kaye Slavet and Dicla Slavet, his stepdaughters Jennifer Lake (husband Christopher) and Emily Rowlands (husband Charles), his niece Pamela Yellin, his caregiver Sarah Joy Balyeku, and his 9 grandchildren Maxwell Slavet, Hank Slavet, Sydney Slavet, Celia Slavet, Hazel Slavet, Theodore Slavet, Archer Wardle, Carson Lake and Ross Lake.
The funeral service will be on Thursday, August 24 at 11a ET at Temple Beth Elohim (10 Bethel Rd, Wellesley). For those who can’t join in person, the service will be accessible virtually through this link https://tbewellesley.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqf–urzwvGdBPAIMsjOUghiBxfvlXVTgX
Following the service at the temple, the graveside service will be held at Sharon Memorial Park (40 Dedham St., Sharon, MA). Shiva will be this Thursday 4-7p ET and Friday 11a-3p ET at the family home. Donations in memory of Arnie can be made to Temple Beth Elohim or to FIDF.