Bob was born on the 25th of January 1928, in Oklahoma. He was the only son of Sherrill M. Allen and Helen B. Allen. Bob grew up with humble beginnings but his persistence, drive, dedication, courage and passion allowed him to succeed in all that he set his mind to including athletics and business. Most importantly, Bob was passionately committed to his family and all the organizations he served.
Growing up, Bob’s family moved many times, but he found his true calling at Reagan High School in Houston where he was a star athlete in track and basketball. Bob was known by his friends as “Bones Allen” in his early years because of his height of 6’4” and his lean body. At Reagan High School he was also referred to by the sports press as “Iron Man” Allen as a result of winning 4 events in one track meet. A quote from a news clipping following a state track meet reads; ‘Robert Allen, Reagan Distance Runner, stole the spotlight with his sensational “Iron Man” stunts that won him several medals and the warm applause of everyone in the stands’. On that day, Bob broke the mile record for the state of Texas and came back one half hour later to win the 4-man mile relay followed by a win in the 800-meter race and the 800-meter relay. Bob was the backbone of the 1946 Reagan team that captured regional and district track championships. He treasured his coaches as mentors who taught him the importance of teamwork and persistence and many important life lessons.
After high school Bob attended Texas A&M University but was soon drafted into the 8th army and was stationed in Osaka, Japan. He also represented the 8th army in track events in Japan and won the All-Japan mile run in 1947.
Bob graduated from Texas A&M in the class of 1950 receiving his Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He did post graduate work at the University of Houston and later attended the South Texas College of Law. He was a certified public accountant and member of the Texas society of CPAs. Upon graduation from Texas A&M Bob was proudly employed by IBM, but he was quickly snatched away by an up and coming CPA firm in Houston. When Bob was 27 he was lured to a client’s company, Gulf Sulfur as CFO. The company struggled and in a management change Bob was made CEO of what he would build into the Fortune 500 company Gulf Resources & Chemical Corp. Bob served as Chairman, CEO and Director from 1960 until retiring in 1982. Gulf Resources was a diversified natural resource based company focused on processing and refining metals, coal mining oil and gas exploration, industrial explosives and engineering services. More recently, Bob served as Managing Partner of Challenge Investment Partners which is active in mining ventures in the US, Canada and South America.
Bob had many successes in business, but always made time for his family and friends. Although he never had any children, he shared his passions and time with his nieces and nephews and many young people that came to view Bob as a father figure. He spent quality time teaching them how to fly-fish, ski, hunt, and cycle and providing so much wisdom along the way. Bob was passionate about the outdoors and Judy and Bob spent many winter and summer months at their second home in Aspen, CO skiing, hiking and golfing with friends and family. They also enjoyed adventures with their friends travelling the world.
Bob was one of those fortunate men that truly loved his friends and had so many close male friends. He was known as a real “Man’s Man” and a true adventurer. He treasured his frequent lunches with his close buddies and especially looked forward to the annual “Old Timers” luncheon each December. In 1973 he hiked Kilimanjaro with Houston friends Jeff Dyke, Dunbar Chambers, and Jack Dulworth, completing the hike with a solo ascent to the top. Bob was a proud member of the Bohemian Club and spent 3 weeks during each summer at the Bohemian Grove encampment and especially enjoyed the company of his fellow camp members at “Wild Oats”.
Bob was committed to giving back to the community and served on many boards. He was on the board of the Baylor College of Medicine for many years and served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for four years. He also served on the Baylor College of Medicine Technologies Board and Investment Committee. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Medical Center and the Menninger-Baylor College of Medicine. He was a member of the Advisory Board of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M and was a member of the Development Foundation Council of Mays Business School at Texas A&M as well. Bob also served on the boards of Gulf Indonesia Resources Ltd., and the University of Texas Investment Management Company where he served as Chairman of the Board; Federal Express Corporation, Gulf Canada Resources Ltd., Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Brown Foundation, First City Bancorporation of Texas, Inc.; Allied Bank of Texas; American Mining Congress, Washington D.C.; Bethlehem Copper Corp., Vancouver, B.C.; Dimark, Inc.; Earth Resources Corporation; Standard Bank, Houston; Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston; the Alley Theatre; the Ford’s Theatre Society of Washington, D.C.; and Outward Bound, Colorado.
Bob was a recognized and awarded leader in the state of Texas, Houston and at Texas A&M University. He was appointed to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents by Governor George W. Bush soon after his first election as Governor and served as Regent for a term of six years. Bob was awarded the 1979 Texas A&M University Distinguished Alumni Award, the 1983 Texas A&M University Distinguished Achievement Award from the College of Geosciences and Earth Resources, and was named 1985 Texas Business Executive of the Year by the Texas A&M University College of Business Administration. In 1992, he received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Business Administration and the Graduate School of Business. Bob was awarded the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement and the Torch of Liberty Award of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’irth. He was a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) in his early years and later the World Presidents Organization (WPO).
Bob’s incredible life and stories will forever be in the memories of the people that were so deeply touched by him.
Bob is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Judy Ley Allen; mother-in-law, Audrey Moody Ley; sister-in-law Diane Ley Espinoza (Antonio) and brother-in-law Steve W. Ley; nieces and nephews, Susan Espinoza (Marc Piatkowski), Jorge Espinoza (Maureen), Katherine O’Neill (Bill), David Ley (Gisella Velarde), and Kevin Ley; great grand nieces and nephews, Mia and Maximo Piatkowski, Sylvia and Carmen Espinoza, Christopher, Charlie and Billy O’Neill and Elizabeth Ley Velarde. Bob is predeceased by his sister Betty Allen Branch and his nephew Kenneth Branch and survived by niece-in-law Charlotte Branch and nieces Lisa Cunningham (Will) and Cindy Worsham (Dearl); grand nieces and nephews Bobby, Andrew (Yang), Christy, Emily Branch; Rebecca McGuire (Caleb), Rachel Wang (Eli), Deborah and Catherine Cunningham, Steven Worsham, Jessica Harakel (Michael); and great grand niece Eleanor McGuire.
Friends and family are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o'clock in the afternoon until half-past seven o'clock in the evening on Tuesday, the 13th of January, in the Jasek Chapel and Parlor of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
The Funeral Service will be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Wednesday, the 14th of January at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer in Houston, with Dr. Tom Pace, Senior Pastor officiating, Immediately following all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held at the church.
Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment at Memorial Oaks Cemetery.
In lieu of customary remembrances, and for those desiring, contributions in the memory of Robert H. Allen may be directed to the charity of your choice or to John H. Reagan Scholarship and Development Foundation, 4545 Post Oak Place #101, Houston, TX 77027. This is a foundation that Bob proudly established to provide funds for exceptional Reagan students of need to go to college.
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