Donald Lee Presley
Donald Lee Presley, 62, passed away in his home April 30, 2017 in Seabrook Tx. Don was born June 20, 1954 in Longview, TX. He is survived by his wife, Nanette; daughter, Stacy Whirl; sons Chad and Bret; sister Delia; four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Don worked as a PROACT Manager for MI SWACO, Schlumberger.
Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church, Pasadena (7500 W Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, TX) at 1:00 PM, Saturday, May 6th. The family will receive friends and family from 6 to 8 PM Friday, May 5th at Crowder Funeral Home, 1645 E Main St., League City, TX, 77573. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Heart Association are much appreciated.
Don was a good and decent man. I enjoyed his humor and his forbearance with me while playing tennis, at which he was a talent. He loved, and was very proud of, his family. Everyone enjoyed working with him; he worked hard and rode the ups and downs of our business with serenity and good humour. He will be missed.
To his wife and children, please accept my sincere condolences and my thoughts prayers of comfort for you during this difficult time.
Chris.
It was and will always be my great honor to have you, Don, as my manager during my tough years as a field engineer trainee. I always enjoyed the passion you passed on to all of us. I know, I will not be asked in the office, every Monday morning, ” Did you run during the weekend?”, again. But I will keep doing that. A good habit we share forever.
Please accept my sincere condolences. I will not be able to come back but my thoughts will be with you all the time.
Zhenhua Lin
My sincerest condolences to Nanette, Bret, Stacy, Chad and the rest of Don’s family. What a wonderful man Don was. He had such a positive effect on so very many lives. He made each and every one he knew feel special. I knew of Don for about 20 years, but was blessed to have worked with him for the past 7. I admired him greatly, both professionally and personally. He was a man of God who so loved his family and country. Our lives will be a little emptier without out him.
The news of Don’s passing away came as a huge shock to me. Don has been my manager for the most part of my career (Dec. 2012 – Jan. 2017). As we mourn this immense loss, I’ll like to share some of my fondest memories of him in celebration of a life well spent. Don is one of the most humble, kindest hearts I ever met. I remember when I was expecting my son and I stopped by his office and he said I won’t take you to your new assignment with the DS Technical Service team except you let me carry your laptop bag. There I was walking along and my manager carrying my bag for me. As a married PROACT (an international training program), he was always so concerned about my well-being. He always ensured I got assignments that will accommodate my family. Recently, I needed recommendation letters to file some immigration paperwork. Out of the 7 recommendation letters, Don’s letter was the first to be signed and returned to me. It is my sincere prayer that God will grant the family and all friends the fortitude to bear this great loss. Rest on in peace Don till we meet to part no more.
I was extremely lucky to know you Don, such an extraordinary manager, father and co-worker. Since the first day I joined PROACT Team I cherish your wisdom, guidance & care. Really it was great honor to have a manager like you. You will always be missed!!
Please accept my sincere condolences to all the family.
Don Presley, what a great guy! He was a kind and decent gentleman and I will always have fond memories of working with him during his time as a young field engineer with Magcobar. I admired Don for his dedication to his job and for the love he so proudly proclaimed for his wife and children. Nanette, you and your family are in my prayers as you mourn the loss of your beloved Don.
Don will always be remembered in the hearts of the persons that were lucky to meet him and work with him. Don will surely be greatly missed by all of us. Very special person with everyone, always looking for the positive side of things. His example and motivational words will always remain with us. He used to tell me every time I visited his office that he remembered the day of my interview with M-I, and that he kept my printed resume on his desk – and few years later he will still show me my resume there.
Please accept my sincerest condolences Nanette, Bret, Stacy and Chad.
It seems only a short while ago that we learned the first grandchild had arrived to our branch of the Presley family tree–on Father’s Day!! He brought such joy to this family and has remained a blessing through the years. I never expected (or wanted) to out-live him.
We’re praying for Nanette, the children and grandchildren and for Delia.
With love,
It was an honor and a pleasure to have known such a wonderful gentleman professionally and personally.
One of my fondest memories of Don was finding him very early one morning at the office, at his computer typing away whilst listening to Led Zeppelin on his stereo. He looked up and smiled, we shared a couple jokes and started off the week like that.
Honest, compassionate, encouraging, positive, loving, wise, are just a few words to describe him. I will forever be grateful for all the opportunities you have given me, and all that you have taught me. To his dearest family, my thoughts and prayers are with you all at this time, please accept my most heartfelt condolences.
Nan, Chad, Stacey, & Bret…sending thoughts & prayers your way as you go through this difficult time. Don was one of the kindest, sweetest men I have ever known, and I was blessed to know him for about 35 years. Heaven has a new angel, but he will be missed so much by those he left behind. With every tear you shed for him, may you also laugh at one of the many unforgetful memories you all made together.
With love & prayers always,
Renee
Don was by far the best manager I have ever had and likely will ever have. He was a good and kind man who genuinely cared about the people who worked with him. He was always open to give guidance and was a constant source of positivity, even when things were bad. It was an honor and things will never be the same without you. You will be missed by all of us and your words will always be with us. Rest in peace Don.
Don was a Godly and humble man whose friendship I will forever cherish. He was a proud Marine Corps father of Chad and Bret, loving father to Stacy; and he cherished Nanette.
During Dons role as Western Hemisphere analysist, one of Dons responsibilities was to monitor the financial and operational performance of the business unit. There wasn’t an aspect of the business that Don didn’t put into an Excel spreadsheet or on a PowerPoint slide. In keeping with Dons nature to accentuate the positive and diminish the negative, his slides and spreadsheets reflected this thru his creative manipulation of the data to reflect a more favorable point of view.
Don found his true calling in his position as PROACT Manager. He was a great mentor and excellent role model for the employees in this program.
Regardless of the situation, I don’t ever recall Don speaking an unkind word about anyone. He was a true gentleman under all circumstances.
I will miss our lunches together where we would talk about our children and what they were up to and what was going on in our lives at the time.
Nanette, Chad, Bret and Stacy, please accept our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Don.
A true Prince among men. We miss you already , Don.
Don was the best manager I have ever had and I will always be inspired by his words and the way he cared about me and others since the very first time I met him. I admired him in every way and will always cherish his guidance and wisdom. I will always be grateful for all the opportunities he gave me while in the PROACT team. His support meant all for me. We will all miss you.
To his family: please, accept my sincere condolences.
It was a great honor and a pleasure to meet and work with such open, kind and great person as Don. I have always admired his wisdom and attitude to people. I’ve never met such a kind-hearted person before.
For me he was not only the best manager, but also a truly Father of PROACT Family.
I do not want to believe in what happened.
Please accept my deepest condolences.
My thoughts and prayers are with Don and his family. 5 years ago I had my interview with Don for getting transferred to Houston as a PROACT engineer. I’ll always be grateful for that opportunity, not only for my career but it was here where I met my husband and where my baby boy was born.
Don always showed sincere interest about my personal life and he helped me very much when I was dealing with severe health issues. Don was more than a manager, he was a friend, a mentor, he was like family, especially for the ones whose families live far away like mine. Thank you Don for always believing in me and give me the courage to face life as it is with optimism and faith.
You’ll be truly missed,
Nanette, Stacey, Brett and Chad, please accept my most heartfelt condolences,
Don was an amazing person with a heart of gold. He was kind, lovable and above all a true friend to all who had the luck and pleasure to meet him. Although he was my manager throughout the PROACT years, I always saw him as a father who always gave me good advices and cared for me. Don will be greatly missed by all of us. I will always remember how Christmas was a cherished time for him and I would walk to his office to visit him and see all the nice decorations and Christmas songs playing on the radio. He would really immerse himself in the Christmas spirit. He taught me to always connect with family even being far away due to work, and he made sure I felt comfortable here. He made me feel I found a home away from home. I’m very grateful for all he has done and has been for me. He’ll be truly missed.
To Don’s family: Please accept my deepest sympathy for your loss. This world lost a great person.
Don was such a great guy, a man that was honorable and truly admired by friends, colleagues, and very well respected by the legions of PROACT engineers he mentored in the first years of these young people’s career. You could always count on Don to be positive and to provide words on inspiration no matter what the situation was.
And to Don’s family….you can’t imagine what influence your husband and father had on the many lives he touched during his career. I know you’ll miss him deeply, as will all of us that knew him, and you have our sincere condolences.
We will always be thankful to be able to have called Don our friend. May you rest in peace buddy!
Don was a great manager and an even better person. I feel so blessed to have worked for him during my 4 years in the PROACT program. I remember a few times where recruiters from Schlumberger commented that he sent them an email update/thank you about a candidate they had recruited into PROACT from a year or two prior. This was something no other manager ever did.
He was so caring, kind, and had a keen interest in all of his employees and co-workers–not only in their professional success, but also in their personal growth. Don always offered words of encouragement and advice to many of us; he often had a line of PROACTs waiting to speak with him.
To Don’s family: I never saw him more excited than when he spoke about spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Please accept my condolences for your loss. Praying for you all.
My heartfelt condolences to the family. Don was my first boss and will most definitely be the best one. He will always be remembered for his caring attitude and warmth while being professional. I’m unable to comprehend the impact he has created in my life. He has influenced everyone around him to be positive, cheerful and sincere, especially young engineers like us (PROACTS). His words “Keep up the good work” will always be echoing in my ears.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in peace.
A beautiful soul, full of love and faith, ascended to heaven, away from me, but closer to God, leaving loneliness and sadness. The boss, who led an honorable life will live forever in my mind. I’m deeply graceful to you for all of your help. Mr. Don was the best manager in my life. He guided me with very useful advices lead me to positive way of life and career. He always inspires me by his words and the way he cared about me and others. I gained a huge motivation every time I meet you. I admired the way you think positively and the way you control your temperament very well. Managing more than 150 Proact engineers from most every countries in the world is definitely not an easy job. Each Proacts have each strong personality and specific circumstances. There are so many headache issues you have to hear and solve every day. However, you are always calm and gentle. We will all miss you.
To Don’s family: Please accept my deepest sympathy for your loss. In this sorrowful time, I would like to extend to you my heartfelt condolences.
This is so devastating. I had the pleasure of meeting Don while going through training at M-I SWACO. He was alway so nice and encouraging. I will never forget his kindness and the wisdom he bestowed upon us new hires. My deepest condolences to his family.
I am so saddened and shocked to hear this. Don was a fine man. I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing him very well but have heard so many stories from his uncle Jack. Jack loved Don and was very proud of him. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Don was a colleague, adviser, a friend I could confide in and a Christian Brother. No better person than Don has crossed my life’s path. The many comments already testify the the way a Christian should to show the love of our load. I always stopped by Don’s office when in Houston to catch up. He shared always the doings of his. He was so proud and thankful for them. To Don’s family I express my most heartfelt sympathy. I thank the Lord Jesus that Don and I paths crossed and we got to know each other. May God give you comfort at this time and may you be grant peace in knowing that Don is now resting with the Father.
My wife Fran and I met Don and Nanette prior to our children being married. I was fortunate to have spent quality time with Don during that time. I felt we had a lot in common and I had a wonderful time with him. Although we only spent that short time together I will miss him. He made such an impression on me. I will never forget him.
Garry Whirl
Don was very motivational person, never gave up on his employees. He was a Father figure who kept looking out for us and kept us in line. He would always let us know that we were an outstanding bunch and how he was very proud of us. He would ensure that we the PROACT family always had our time with our families in our busy schedules and was there when we needed help, mentoring and advise.
He certainly is an inspiration for all of us and will always be remembered. A true patriot, kind and caring, he was very proud of his family and work. It certainly was a privilege and honor to know him and work for him. He always brought out the best in us. He will be missed dearly.
My heartfelt condolences, my prayers are with the Presley family. Rest in Peace,Sir.
The memory I have of Don was him coming to the classroom (during mud school) and offering a chocolate to each of us. This resumes perfectly how caring he was. Don was my first manager and so far the best one I would ever have. He will be remembered for his kindness, caring attitude and generosity with all of us
Please accept my heartfelt condolences, may his soul Rest In Peace.
I am still at a loss for words, his passing away brought great sadness to all of us who had a chance to be guided by him. The way he spoke and carried himself made us respect and cherish him.
Even though he was managing more than 100 people he always made time for every single one of us, either to check in, give advice or encouragement.
He was a role model and it truly was a privilege to observe and learn from him. We will miss you.
My sincere condolences.
Don was the best manger I have ever worked with. I will remember his kindness during the mud school in Houston, and those encouraging words he sent out in the emails. Though working far away in the field, I could always feel that Don was caring about the safety, the performance and the career development for everyone. What I learned from Don is that be nice to people, think positive and work hard.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in peace.
As the saying goes,”Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” I truly believe that Don is a great example of someone that planted a tree a long time
My heartfelt condolence. May your soul Rest In Peace.
It was my pleasure, honor and great blessing to work so close to Don on the PROACT Program. We had at one point almost 120 people under our responsibility. Don took care of each one of them. Amazing…
It was very hard but Don worked so hard and was such an inspiration…
I wish I could hive you muy sincere condolences personally but I am stuck at the hospital recovering from heart surgery.
Sincerely
For the past 23 years, I considered Don one of my very best friends! He was a kind giving honourable gentleman with everyone he came in contact with. He was the type of man who would give his life for you. He was very proud of his daughter, and his two sons who are Marine Officers as well as their families. His love for them and his wife, Nan, was very apparent. He loved Texas and America! He was a Godly man who treated others the way he wanted to be treated! He will be greatly missed! Rest in Peace!
It is with great sadness that I learned of Don’s passing. I first met him around 10 years ago and knew immediately that he was a warm and kind person. Through my interactions with Don, as part of the CI ‘family’ and later as a member of the training team, Don proved my first impressions to be true, time and time again. He was a true friend, as well as a colleague and I will always remember his generosity of spirit, his humility, sense of humor and the respect with which he gave people…and which he got back in spades. He was a mentor to many, approachable, wise and truly well-loved by everyone who met him.
My sincere condolences to all the family for your loss.
I was saddened to learn of Don’s passing. What a special man Don was. Like many of us I got to know Don at work. He quickly became more than a colleague and we became friends. I always enjoyed visiting with Don and have always admired his compassion and empathy for other people. Don would help you in any way he could. He was also very humble about the positive impact he had on others. A wonderful, honorable family man that will be missed greatly. I know Don’s family will miss him greatly. He spoke of all of you often and how proud he was of his family. Please know that you have our sympathies for your loss. The people who knew Don are better for the experience. The impact he made on others lives has multiplied many times over through the the people he touched. Rest in peace Don.
Don’s greatest accomplishments centered around being a devoted husband, loving and responsible father and grandfather. The person he was in his home life also played a huge role in his work life – devoted, hard working, honest and ethical. He cared about what he did and all the people around him – I cherish having the priveledge of knowing and working with Don and grieve his absence. To Don’s family – he will be with you always and his love and strength will see you through – you will see him again.
Don was such an amazing person, I have always been so grateful that I could meet him and work for him. He took care of us like a father, he felt happy for all of our little accomplishments in both work and life. I still remember how he invited me to be a proact when we first met, which became one of the best experience in my life. During the past 4 year working for him, every time we chatted, his encouraging words guided me through the most difficult time. It is so hard to believe that he passed away, especially that it was a few days after my baby was born, I was only able to send picture and haven’t let the baby meet him, one of the best person in my life. The memories he left to me will be passed on.
Nanette, Stacey, Brett and Chad, please accept my deepest condolences.
When I joined Schlumberger 3 years ago, older PROACTs told me “Don is the best boss you will ever have,” and I think they were onto something. He has been a tremendously supportive mentor to all of us in the PROACT program, and a real champion for our personal and professional growth.
Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones; Don was an incredibly kind and thoughtful person who will be missed.
Don was a great guy, I have missed Don and his lovely wife Nan since they left the west Texas area.
So incredibly shocked to hear of his passing at such a young age. Much love and prayers to Nan and their family.
Nan,
I am so sorry for your loss. May God carry you through the difficult days ahead.
Love you my sweet friend.
Dear Nanette–
I am so sorry for your loss. We FUMC MYF girls haven’t stayed in touch very often, bit I have wonderful memories of you and your family. I’m sorry I didn’t get to know your husband, but he sounds like an awesome husband and father. Please accept my condolences for you and your family.
Love, Melinda
To Don’s Family: please accept my heartfelt condolences. Don was a true friend and colleague. I have many fond memories of Don and his sweet spirit. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I was so sad when I heard of Dan’s passing. It was true pleasure to work with Don for many years. Don was a kind person and set a great example for all the “PROACT kids” he developed. They all speak so highly of him which is the greatest tribute of all. Most of all Don was always a Gentleman. That’s how I will always remember him.
Nanette,
Don and I played tennis several times in some oilfield tournaments and I know it was one of his passions in life as he played in college. I always enjoyed his company and conversations and his wisdom and wit was outstanding. He will be missed very much and my prayers go out to you and your family that God will provide comfort and peace to you during this time of your grieving and loss.
I still don’t know how Don took a group of over 150 people from all over the world and made a family of it. That’s how remarkable he was.
Thank you sir for your example, your kind words, your advice, for reminding me that there’s nothing more important than family and for all the chocolates you gave me at your office. Thank you for being there for me, for all of us.
My thoughts are with his family. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
Dear Don,
I would like to tell your family how grateful I am for everything you have done for me. When I joined the PROACT, I did not know that I would be reporting to a man who would be for me and the other PROACTs “a father, a leader, a role model, a mentor, and a protector.” Myself and the other PROACTs have been so blessed to have you in our lives. You were a truly caring manager, and in return we loved you. You probably never knew it, but among the PROACTs we called you “Papa Don.” “Honesty, humility, dedication, commitment, and many others” those were your values that I and many other witnessed. By exemplifying these values in your actions every day—and in each interaction with the PROACTs—you have imprinted them in us. I know for a fact that many of us when facing challenging situations will think, “What would Don have done?”. On my current assignment, a manager who saw how impacted we were by you said, “The day I leave, if my employees are that impacted, then I will know that I have achieved something in my life. What a good man your manager was.” I will never forget the many times you backed me up in difficult situations. I will never forget how good you were to me when I lost relatives. I will never forget the assignment opportunities you provided me that enabled me to not only grow professionally and personally but more importantly to meet people who are very special to me and so important in my life. I literally owe this to you. Don, you showed us what it means to be great. Thank you so much. May God bless your memory Papa Don.
To Don’s family: Please accept my sincere condolences.
Dear Nanette,
I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to you and your family. I was very saddened to hear of Don’s sudden passing. I am very thankful to have met you in your lovely home, after the wedding ceremony of my niece, Julia, and Corey. Even though I only spoke with you and Don for a few moments, I have often thought of how welcome you made me feel. Don gave me that gift from his heart, so sweet! I have it in my living room, and I think of you and Don when I see it. Reading all the condolences, here, I am not surprised at the beautiful legacy he left with everyone in his Family, his friends and coworkers, and I am so blessed to have met him! May you be comforted by all the wonderful memories you have of Don, knowing there’s no cure for the sorrow we endure. The Grace and Love of the Lord be with you every moment. I am confident Don will live on in all the loved ones he touched and blessed.
My condolences to the Presley family, you are in my prayers.
I have such great memories of playing tennis with Don and Nan in Midland . My husband and I were privileged to know the Pressleys. Nan, I am praying for you and your family . To have someone so wonderful in your life pass away has to be very painful. He was such a great man! Praying for God to give you all peace and comfort that aonly He can . Sending much love .
Don was a wonderful person and a wonderful friend. He will be miss by everyone who was lucky to be associated with him.
Like so many of Don’s co-workers, I too was saddened to hear of his passing. I had the privilege of working with Don over many years. He was quick with a smile and always had an easy, friendly manner about him. To his family, I offer my sincerest sympathies & condolences on the loss of this good man.
Nanette and family
Please accept my condolences in Don’s passing. Although we never met I feel like I know you from how proudly Don spoke of you when I worked for him. He was a great man and a good friend. The time I spent working for Don was the best work experience I could have had. His kind and positive nature always inspired me to be the best person and professional I could be.
Don was a constant source of positivity and a truly beautiful person to work with. He always had a great attitude, and he sincerely cared about the people around him. I feel blessed to have had the chance to know him, and consider myself lucky for having the opportunity to have called him my manager for almost 2 years. My condolences to his friends, family, and colleagues.
Don was an absolute light that made even the darkest situations seem not as bad. Don had all of our backs throughout the downturn and really fought for us. He was the kind of person who responded to emails with phone calls to make sure that I was okay and I never for a second doubted that he had my best interest at heart. He was an amazing manager and amazing person and will be missed tremendously. Nanette, and the rest of his family I am so sorry for your loss he really was a great man.
I am honored and blessed to have known Sir Don Presley as my manager. It is the greatest blessing that could happen in a Lifetime.
An optimist, caring, understandable Person with a Big Heart who grants his time to everyone and procure fulfillment around him.
There were no preoccupations, questioning, worries that Don could not calm down or relieve, just by talking to him: Appeasement, Will, Re-Motivation, a Smiling face, Patience…(the list is endless…) result from the second you talked with him.
I truly thank God for having the chance to cross his road. I will ALWAYS honor his memory FOREVER by sowing that positivity and happiness around me.
“Take care and stay safe” was his golden sentence ending each email or Conversation.
I will include Don in my prayers. May God give him eternal rest and the family, friends the strength to bear the great pain, my Condolences.
I have great respect and love for Don and Nanette. I have the honor of sharing their son BRET as part of our family. He is a devoted husband to our Kacie and a wonderful father to our grandson and his namesake Benjamin Donald. We are so saddened by Don’s passing and send our thoughts and prayers to the whole Presley family.
I had the fortune and pleasure to work with Don for 2 years whilr I was an instructor. He was a wonderful man and he truly cared about all his PROACTs like they were his own family.
He always had something good to say, regardless of the situation. His employees looked up to him and he lead with grace and compassionate strength.
My sincerest condolences prayers go out to the Presley family during your time of loss and grief.
Godspeed good Sir.
Dear Mrs. Presley,
We here at Dr. Paz’s office just heard the sad news of Mr. Presley’s passing.
Donald will be greatly missed by myself and all the staff that had the privilege of meeting him. Know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
As requested, we have made a donation to the American Heart Association in Mr. Presley’s name.
Our sincerest condolences,
Dr. Jeanne Paz and Staff
I was very lucky to know and work with Don, he was a wonderful person. He will be missed.
It’s my great honor to have Don as my first manager in my life. He is such a great man and friendly manager who cares all of PROACTs. He treated us like his children, always gave us positive words, courage, caring and taught us family is the most important.
It’s still hard to believe this news and he will be truly missed, remembered in my heart. I’m glad to be able to attend the funeral, for somebody who used to be important for me. Thank you for all you have done for me and for PROACT group.
Please accept my deeply condolences. God bless your family.
Don was a good man. I admired and respected him for his professionalism, leadership, and his respect toward family.
To his family, friends, and loved ones, please accept my sincere condolences.