Patty Slater Tunnicliffe

Patty Slater Tunnicliffe was born on January 13, 1942, to Robert and Esther Slater in Sacramento, California. The family moved to Santa Barbara in 1954, and Patty attended Santa Barbara Junior High and High School, graduating in 1959. She later graduated from Westmont College in 1963 with a B. A. in Literature and earned a teaching credential. She taught American history at La Colina Junior High School until 1977. In 1973 she married the love of her life, Fred Tunnicliffe, and together they were blessed with 52 years of joy and happiness!

In 1977 she received her real estate license, followed by her Brokers license. She worked for several real estate companies in Santa Barbara as an office manager, including Pitts & Bachmann and Village Properties.

Patty served on the Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS Board of Directors and was President of the Association in 1987. She was active in the California Association of REALTORS for 20 years, chairing multiple committees including her favorite, the Standard Forms Committee. She also taught classes on Arbitration, Agency Law, and Real Estate Contracts for the State of California.

In 1995, she enrolled at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, earning a Master’s degree in Apologetics in 2005. Following Seminary, she taught at seminars and conferences on topics such as Evidences for the Existence of God, The Reliability of the New Testament Documents, Is Jesus God? World Religions, and Prophecy as Proof for the Reliability of the Bible.

Her primary field of interest was Islam, and she taught courses designed to help others understand the differences between Islam and Christianity, Muhammad and Jesus, the Qur’an and the Bible, and between the God of the Bible and the god of Islam. Patty also taught a variety of Bible study classes, writing her own materials, and was co-author with Dr. Norman Geisler of Reasons For Belief, an introductory book on apologetics.

Fred and Patty loved traveling across the Western States, Fred with his camera, looking for a great picture, and Patty with her binoculars, looking for any sighting of a new bird. Their hobbies complemented each other as Patty spent time in her yard while Fred “made sawdust” in his shop. She cherished her husband above all earthly blessings, along with her children, family, and her much loved Bible study groups.

Patty became a follower of Jesus Christ as a young girl and today her family rejoices knowing she is home with Jesus and that one-day, the family circle in the sky will be unbroken.

She is survived by her beloved husband Fred, sons Scott (Jeanne) and Todd, by daughter Jennifer Gallo, granddaughters Rebecca (Bob), Sarah (Eric), and Erica (Mat), three great grandchildren, John, Briar, and Franklin; sister Norma Fambrini (Gene), and brother Tom Slater (Nancy).

A celebration of Patty’s life will be held at Redeemer Bible Church at 736 W. Islay St., Santa Barbara on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 11:00am.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to One for Israel Bible College.