Preston Moore Jr.

Preston Moore, Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away on December 27, 2015 following a productive life filled with many accomplishments. He was born August 7, 1931, in Houston, Texas, the son of Ruth Baker and Preston Moore, the maternal grandson of Alice Graham and Captain James A. Baker, and the paternal grandson of Carrie Black and H. R. Moore.

Preston was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Kyle, son John, and brother James (Jimmy). He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Betty Kyle Moore; daughter Elizabeth Elder and husband John; son Preston Moore III and wife Cheryl; and grandchildren Preston Moore IV, Kathryn Hess Moore, and Kristen Palmer Moore.

As his father was an avid golfer, Preston became a devoted golf enthusiast at an early age. He won the Houston Junior Golf Championship five times and, as captain of the Lawrenceville School golf team, won the 1948 Eastern Interscholastic Tournament. At age 14, Preston became one of the youngest individuals to play in a professional golf tournament when he entered the Dallas Open. Recently, Preston participated in the planned restoration of the Gus Wortham Golf Course and was honored to be inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.

Preston attended The University of Texas at Austin (UT) where he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and the Silver Spurs, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business in 1954. He later attended the Small Company Management program at Harvard Business School.

Preston served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command. After leaving the service, he joined the family business, Wilson Stationery and Printing Company and eventually became President and Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Preston was President and CEO of Graham Realty Company. In 1984, he served as President and Director of Wilson Industries, Inc., which specialized in oil field equipment and supplies.

Called into government service during the George H.W. Bush administration, Preston was appointed and confirmed as an Assistant Secretary of Commerce and as the first Chief Financial Officer in the United States government. After leaving the Commerce Department, he entered into partnership with Tom Fatjo, Jr. in the solid waste disposal business. He served as President and Director of Volcano Therapeutics, a start-up medical diagnostic and treatment company. Preston was a director of numerous companies including InterFirst Bank of Houston, Southwestern Drug Corporation, Wilson Business Products, Wilson Industries, TransAmerican Waste, Tanglewood Bank, and WCA Waste Corporation.

Throughout his adult life, Preston, a dedicated runner who competed in 16 marathon races, was proud of his 2:57 finish in the Houston Marathon and 3:01 time in the Boston Marathon. He was named to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness during the Reagan Administration, selected Amateur Co-Captain of the 2002 Texas Cup Golf Matches, and served as Director of Houston Golf Association.

Active in community affairs, Preston was President of the UT Houston Ex-Student’s Association. He served on the Board of Regents of Texas Southern University, the UT McComb’s School of Business Advisory Council, the UT-Houston Medical School Development Board, the James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy Leadership Committee, the Council of Overseers-Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, and the Advisory Council of the School of Health Information Sciences at the UT Health Science Center Houston. Also, he was appointed by Mayor Bill White to the Houston Area Homeland Security Task Force.

Preston was a member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church and a former deacon of the First Presbyterian Church Houston. He was a member and past President of Houston Country Club and a member of the Bayou Club, The Houstonian, and the Eagle Lake Rod and Gun Club.

The family would like to thank Marjorie Romero, Ellie Solis, Maria Serrato, Maria Perdomo, and Maria Reyna for their continued love and support. Honorary pallbearers include Eugene L. Ames, James A. Baker III, A.L. (Les) Ballard, Donald E. Baxter, MD, Norman L. Berkman, MD, Milton E. Black, James M. Cavender III, Tom J. Fatjo, Jr., Robert T. Moncrief, Preston Moore IV, Julian W. Oates, Raymond T. Riffle, Joseph E. Russo, Charles E. Sheedy, E. Clifton Wilson, Jr., Wallace S. Wilson, and George R. Wislar.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate a remarkable life at 2pm on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, Houston, Texas, 77056, where The Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr., Rector, is to officiate. Those interested in a remembrance are gratefully asked to make a contribution to Gus Wortham Restoration Capital Campaign, c/o HGA, 5810 Wilson Rd., Suite 112, Humble, TX 77396 or online at guswortham.org., St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, or the charity of one’s choosing.