Doris Slater

Doris Cagle Slater, age 83, of Flat Rock, Alabama, passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, January 25, 2026, with Matt and Rachel Hill and Kim Williams by her side.

Doris was born on April 9, 1942, to Barney and Sally Cagle. She was well educated and deeply committed to her work and her community. Doris earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Jacksonville University and went on to receive master’s degrees from Auburn University and the University of Georgia.

By trade, Doris was a teacher and administrator. She retired from the Jackson County, Alabama and Dade County, Georgia school systems, where she served as a Child Nutrition Supervisor. Her career reflected her steady leadership, high standards, and genuine care for the children she served.

In their early years together, Doris and her beloved husband, Bryce Slater, were both educators. Then, in the 1970s, Bryce took a leap of faith, leaving teaching and pouring their life savings into building Dogwood Hills Golf Course. While he carved fairways out of the fertile Sand Mountain soil, Doris became the steady heartbeat at home, working to keep their world turning and their dream alive. She carried the household, stood unflinching through the risks and long days, and never wavered when the future felt uncertain. After her retirement, Doris became a fixture at the golf course, welcoming guests, keeping things running smoothly, and proudly sharing in the legacy she and Bryce had built together.

Doris also found joy and peace in her flower gardens, tending them with the same care and pride she brought to everything she did. She was known for her quick wit, playful spirit, and sharp mind. A beautiful, kind lady with a strong backbone, Doris was not afraid to speak her mind when it needed to be spoken. She always spoke when you saw her, usually with her dog by her side, and those who knew her quickly learned that while she was generous and warm-hearted, you didn’t want to cross her.

In addition to her parents, Doris was preceded in death by her husband, Bryce Slater; her brothers, Bronalee Cagle and Dwight Cagle; and her nephews, Rodney Cagle and Ray Daniels.

She is survived by her sisters, Joyce True and Renee (Kenneth) Hill; her godson, Matt (Rachel) Hill; nieces and nephews, Dusty (Amanda) Hill, Kim Williams, Tim (Melissa) Cagle, Eric (Laura) Cagle, Debbie (Teddy) Holland, Veronica (Ricky) Casey, and Roger (Joy) Cagle; along with a wide circle of extended family, friends, former students, and all those who were fortunate enough to be touched by her life.

A funeral service to celebrate Doris’s life will be held on Wednesday, January 28th, at 3:00 PM Eastern Time (2:00 Central) at the Bryant Chapel of Moore Funeral Home. Dr. Ted Traylor and Jabo Moore will officiate the service. She will be laid to rest at Oak Lawn Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday from 4:00 to 8:00 PM Eastern Time and on Wednesday from 1:00 PM until the service hour.

Those who knew Doris Slater were truly blessed. She and Bryce were two peas in a pod, and their shared journey as educators, entrepreneurs, and life partners created a legacy of courage, kindness, laughter, and love that will never be forgotten. Their legacy will live on at Dogwood Hills Golf Course, where the fairways still echo with their vision, hard work, and the countless memories they helped create. Let this be not only a time of sorrow, but a time to celebrate a full, beautiful life that will forever live on in the hearts of those she loved and served.