William Gene Sloan

William Gene Sloan

June 30, 1942 to November 24, 2023

William Gene Sloan began his journey to meet his Creator in the comfort of his home surrounded by his family.

Friday, December 1^st the procession from Eversole Mortuary in Ukiah will begin at 2:00 p.m. and will travel to Harwood Hall, 44400 Willis Avenue, Laytonville, CA. The wake will begin at 6:00 p.m.  On Saturday, December 2, 2023, services will begin at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at the Cahto Tribe’s Cemetery followed by dinner at Harwood Hall.

In his early years of his life his parents left Jackson Valley and moved to Corning, CA where he attended school and graduated from Corning Union High School in 1961. He played many sports and after graduation he attended Shasta College and played football while he lived in Redding, CA.

He worked for Harwood Products in Branscomb, CA nearly 40 years as a lumber grader.

He had a profound love of the ocean and nature spending months at Howard’s Creek. He taught many young people how to dive and rock pick for abalone and how to watch for surf fish in the waves as he would catch them with a throw net. His love of nature, the ocean and the knowledge of the Cahto Cultural ways earned him recognition with the Inter-Tribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council.

He received recognition as an Honored Elder at the California Conference on American Indian Education the California Indian Education System in 2003 for his wisdom, leadership and significant time and energy to American Indian Youth, He was the Laytonville High School Community Honoree in 2012 and has served as a board member of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Police Activity League since 1999.

His love of sports began in his early years of school and carried him through his adult years. He was a dynamite athlete during his high school years earning the rank of Captain on many teams.  He coached girls’ softball since the 1970’s and traveling baseball teams (United Tribes), coached both youth and high school football and his stepson’s basketball team with DeMolay when the previous coach couldn’t continue. They won the championship. It should be noted that this was his first-time coaching boys’ basketball.

Every year in September he would present the history of his family Cahto Traditions and tell stories to the children at Laytonville Unified School District. It was common to see him showing children how to throw a net, pick abalone off the rocks, to use caution and never turn your back on the ocean.

He was a past Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria. He fought hard for his family and civil rights for non-recognized tribes and native people not only thru the disenrollment but also years before while serving on the Inter-Tribal Council. He worked with other tribes in California for Health Care and progressing the rights of all Native People. He never forgot his humble beginnings.

William Gene Sloan is survived by his wife, Alice Langton-Sloan, his daughters Melody Sloan, Tammy Sloan (Pal) and Tonya (David) San Diego. His grandchildren, Tasheena Sloan (Kurt), Mark Britton, Jr. (Cheyene), Zachary Britton and Ricky Britton, Arturo Gonzalez (Lacey), Arica Lopez (Sam) and Jennifer Orozco (Monty), Angela Campbell, Magdelena and Giovanni Rodriguez and Great Grandchildren Elijah and Amya Hopkins, Isaiah Campbell, Kaleb and Tahiry Betts, Bailey and Sullivan Britton, Adrian and Kylen Martinez, Shoni and London Orozco, and Eevee Gonzalez. Step-Children Nathan Langton and Eric Langton (Danielle) and Grandchildren Nevaeh and Skylah Langton, Kali Garcia, Emilie Pogroszewski, and Joseph Langton-Garcia and Bronwyn Ford.

He was preceded in death by his parents Alice Sybil Ray and Bert Wilburn Sloan, his daughters Renee Sloan and Deana Campbell, Grandchildren Gene Gonzalez and Aaron Campbell and all his brothers and sisters.