UPDATE: Although initial reports were that he had died of a heart attack, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer indicates that the medical examiner has ruled the death a suicide.
Slocum co-anchored KFOR's nightly news with Linda Cavanaugh from 1982 to 1990, at which point he left for Seattle to work as a news anchor for KOMO, the ABC television affiliate in Seattle. Several years ago, he left TV to work as a radio news anchor and write a memoir about his struggles with alcoholism and being a closeted gay man.
Cavanaugh said she counted Slocum, whose on-air name in Seattle was Eric Slocum, as one of her all-time favorite people.
He was intelligent, he was charming, and he was just a good friend, she said. My kids adored him. When Dan was around, he always connected with them and with virtually all the people he met.
She said they remained in touch over the years.
He was a great anchor and he had an air about him of confidence and reliability, Cavanaugh said, and yet, he was still just very funny and very quirky, but in a lovable way.