Jeffrey Elliott Ahlstrom

Jeffrey Elliott Ahlstrom was born on September 12th, 1945 in Vallejo, California. He was the second son born to Elliott Southworth Ahlstrom and Wilma Rouse Ahlstrom. It was in Vallejo, a small town in the San Francisco Bay area, that Jeff and his older brother Michael spent their childhood and youth.

In 1968, after completing high school and university, Jeff enlisted in the United States Air Force where he was trained as a weapons controller. He would be stationed for a year in Vietnam followed by several years at an Air Force base in Germany before his honorable discharge in 1974 at the rank of Captain.

After the military, Jeff began his career working as a human resources and benefits consultant. He would eventually settle in the Houston area in the early '80's, just in time for an economic downturn that limited his future in that field. Jeff had some computer training while in the Air Force, and he decided to completely change career direction and become a computer programmer. He purchased several books on computer languages and programming, an IBM Compaq – the first commercially available portable computer – and started the company “Ahlstrom Programming Services”, the business he would continue to run until his retirement in 2007.

Jeff was known for his sarcastic sense of humor and sharp wit. And while he was quick to make a joke when confronted with the absurd or ridiculous, Jeff had immense sympathy for how difficult life was to navigate, and knew that shortsightedness and frailty were an unavoidable part of the human condition. He was loath to give advice, but quick to offer support and encouragement. Cats were often the beneficiary of Jeff’s softer side. He was never without at least one cat, and once spent months slowly befriending a tiny, starving, and terrified feral kitten, whom he named ‘Shy Baby’, to eventually accept his food, his home, and finally his lap.

Jeff lived a life rich in hobbies and interests. His love of the outdoors, first discovered as he and his brother adventured through rural Vallejo, never left him. He was endlessly intrigued by whatever species of bird, plant, or animal were native to any region he found himself in. He loved music, but was not pretentious in his tastes; he might have classical music playing one minute and bluegrass in the next. Cooking was another of his great loves. He was always eager to try any recipe that struck his fancy. He would then spend months “perfecting” it, substituting ingredients and adjusting portions until he was happy with the results. In his mid-thirties, Jeff began to take classes in Country & Western dancing. He had never professed any particular affection for either Country & Western music or Country & Western dancing, but his reasoning for taking up the new hobby was sound – he had moved to Texas, and it was a great way to meet women. The wisdom of this decision would eventually become clear to all, as it was through Country & Western dancing that he met Barbara, the woman who would become his wife, partner, and best friend.

Volunteering within the community was also important to Jeff. Throughout the years he was a familiar sight at Jesse Jones Park where he helped with events and led nature tours and at an assisted living facility where he cooked and talked with groups. He helped retirees prepare their taxes as an AARP volunteer, and most recently was helping at the Montgomery County Library.

Jeff passed away early in the morning of March 24th. He was undergoing treatment for cancer and fell ill from a rare side effect which weakened his body and his heart. It did not, however, affect his mind, and he remained alert and conversant in his final days; enjoying the laughs, conversation, and love of family and friends until the very end.

Jeff is survived by his wife, Barbara; his brother, Mike; Barb’s children, Heather and Andy; and granddaughter, Lily; as well as Jeff’s children, Suzanne and Jason; and grandsons, Jordan, Aivon, and CJ.

Jeff was not strongly affiliated with any particular church, but he maintained an unshakable faith throughout his life in the teachings, the salvation, and the love offered by Jesus Christ. He was continually delighted by the beauty he found in God’s Universe. He was always looking forward to, as he put it, the next “little wow” moment. While teaching computer classes at Kingwood Community College he would, in fact, put computers and programming aside for one day each semester to talk to his students about it. He wanted his students to remember that the “big wow” events – the marriages, the births, the new jobs and big purchases – were certainly special. But they paled in significance to the “little wow” moments that one gathered in life. The unexpected moments that you never saw coming, when suddenly you are overcome with the beauty and excitement of life. When you realize that you are a part of life, and that being alive is fantastic.