Preston and Shasta

When I saw the reports that the U of H had a new Shasta , my first thought was “I wonder whatever happened to Preston Ivens.”

I Googled his name, and was pleased to learn that he had a successful career, but saddened to learn that he had died in 2009.

As a teenager, I looked up to Preston – not just because he was a lanky six-footer and I was about 5’5” when we met.  He was clever and kind and had an absolutely magnetic personality.  Everyone wanted to be his friend.

When I was still in high school, Ivens was already in college and was a member of the team that took care of Shasta.  I remember when he took his mother to “meet” Shasta.

When they arrived at the cage, Preston threw open the door and walked in.  Shasta jumped up and put her paws on his shoulders and began to nuzzle his face and neck.  The noise – actually a purr – Shasta made sounded like thunder, and Mrs. Ivens was sure her son was being eaten alive!  I’m not sure the poor lady ever recovered.

I found it interesting that Preston’s obituary that I found on line used a picture from the time we met:

PRESTON RASIN IVENS, III was born October 31, 1939 to Marianne and Preston Ivens, Jr. He left this life November 13, 2009. Although born in Galesburg, IL, he grew up in Houston and graduated from Reagan HS where he made life long friends who want it to be known that "Preston was loved and will be missed by the Reagan Class 0f '57". As a member of Reagan Chapter of DeMolay, he was elected Texas State Master Counselor. He and his friends went on to be Alpha Phi Omega fraternity brothers at the University of Houston and shared many happy times building the bonfire and participating as a Top 10 Act at Frontier Fiesta. Also, he was Captain of the Cougar Guard and President of APO.After winning a scholarship from Standard Oil of Texas, he became a valuable programmer and was given the honor of being loaned to Standard Oil of California in San Francisco for a special project. Eventually, he became Vice President of Houston Data Center then later formed his own company, Direct Access, from which he retired.