Loren William Slentz

On Sep. 21, 1924 Calvin Coolidge was President, George Gershwin played on the  radio, and Loren William Slentz was born. Life started in Great Bend Kansas, but this farm boy wanted to be a chemical engineer. He landed at Stanford University as a Theta Xi and began his coursework. His first final exams were the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed and war was on the horizon. A few months later, in the Spring of 1942 he went on a double date at the newly opened Hollywood Palladium. The band was Claude Thornhill that evening. By the end of the night Loren and his buddy Bob had switched dance partners and he had met his match; Miss Shirley Parker. He described her as exotic, smart, and a very good dancer. His studies and their love story were soon interrupted by WWII. He enlisted in December of 1942 and served in the 102nd Infantry Div. working with the big canons. In March of 1944 Loren and Shirley wed. By 1946 the war had ended and Loren was able to complete his BA in archaeology, BS in Chemistry, and a MS in chemistry at Stanford University.  By this time the family was growing and they moved to an old frat house near the University of Utah, where he earned his PHD in Geology. A formal education was something Loren valued and he made sure his children and grandchildren knew how important it was to him.

Loren taught geology and chemistry from 1950 through 1975 at various colleges and junior colleges; Southern Illinois University, Westminster College, UT; and half a dozen junior colleges in southern California. He believed good teachers were born, not made- and for him, teaching was “a gas.”

From August 1955 until October 1985 Loren (or “Slatz” as he was called in the office) worked for Chevron, Aramco; Cal Tex Pacific Indonesia, Wapet as a geochemist and applied technology both for production and exploration. He developed a way to “fingerprint” oil. While in the states, he commuted to work in his little black MGC which smelled like oil, leather, and cigar smoke. Loren wrote, “work is what you do to make the rest of life possible --and women are what you need to make it worthwhile.”

Loren took great pleasure in raising his children, and instilled a sense of adventure and values that his Auntie would have been proud of. Of course, there were moments, perhaps on some of those long car trips, when he’d pepper the air with expressions such as, “not only no, but HELL, no!” and, “you don’t have the sense God gave a screwdriver!” 

To his grandchildren he was “Sandy Claus” and the expert in Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors (he made weekly trips to the shop to keep the freezer stocked with everyone’s favorites). Popovers were never more memorable than when he tossed them, steaming from the oven to those seated at the breakfast table. These paired perfectly with his signature blend of coffee made with a touch of cinnamon and chicory. He enjoyed family life and the pleasure of a good meal, especially when he took part in preparing the food. Together, he and Shirley entertained friends and family from around the world, introducing their guests to exotic flavors and stories from their travels. He shined as a host, and could make you feel so special as he leaned in with his colorful Sumatran print shirt and charismatic grin, asking what he could bring you to drink.

If you ever had the pleasure of enjoying a navy grog with Slatz, you may have noticed as he shook some accompanying salted nuts in his hand, a green ring, given to him by his great aunt, Annie Moses. He attributed his appreciation of travel, antiquities, and family traditions to his Auntie and this ring became the impetus for the tradition of gifting a replica with an engraved stone to each child and grandchild. To him, it symbolized responsibility and reliability, something he valued greatly. “If you say you’ll do something or are expected to do something, DO IT!”

For many years his international work provided Loren and Shirley the opportunity to live abroad. They enjoyed learning about other cultures, swimming in foreign waters and lighting up dance floors at the Raffles in Singapore, the Cairo Sheraton, and across Europe. Loren continued to work for years after retirement as a consulting geochemist. He also had a mail order business in coins called “Slentz’s Historic Coins”. He enjoyed singing, reading, card games, and peach pie. Mahjong and Skittles were games he taught his children and grandchildren. On any given evening you could find Loren in the chair next to Shirley, working on crosswords together and enjoying a PBS mystery show. He wrote that he wasn’t afraid of dying–only living without Shirley. On August 28, 2023 he left this world, having completed 98 trips around the sun.

Throughout their 2 divorces and 3 marriages to each other, they created a rich and colorful life and a family that can say, yes, you indeed left the world a bit better off than it was on Sept. 21, 1924.