Fred William Lentjes

In his early years, Fred developed a strong sense of determination and work ethic. He became an eagle scout and worked on farms loading bales of hay and such as a young teen during summers in and around Clarksdale. After graduating with honors from Clarksdale High School in 1958, he accepted a scholarship to Ole Miss where he played football for the Rebels from 1959 through 1961 including two Sugar Bowl wins and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1963.

In 1963, Fred moved to New Orleans, LA where he began working for Chevron Oil while working on his master’s degree from Tulane University and became a father a year later.

He completed his Masters in Civil Engineering in 1968 and continued what would become a 40+ year career in the petroleum industry. He had lengthy tenures at Chevron, Tenneco and Petro-Marine Engineering in Houston, TX from where he retired in 2004 followed by a few years of industry consulting.

Fred’s passion to do his best persevered in sports and fitness beyond college, particularly in tennis, running, and track and field. His pursuits included 100+ tennis tournaments, countless fun runs, Tenneco corporate track and field team events and the Senior Olympics.

Fred was a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, Phi Delta Theta (social fraternity), Omicron Delta Kappa (honorary leadership fraternity), Chi Epsilon (honorary engineering fraternity), and Tau Beta Pi (honorary scholastic engineering fraternity).

Fred was preceded in death by his father, Werner Fred Lentjes; mother, Ruth “Melita” Quinby Lentjes; brother, Roy Edmund Lentjes; grandmother, Anna Lemm Lentjes; and step-mother, Natalia "Nettie" Sophia Kociencki.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Geraldine “Jerry” Chauvin Lentjes; children, Bryan Lentjes and wife Crystal Joy Dillinger Lentjes, Anna Lentjes Gillogly and husband Michael Andrew Gillogly and Jason Paul Tramonte, Jr. and wife Katherine Heyne Tramonte; 6 grandchildren, Mary Alexandra Lentjes, Hannah Gray Lentjes, Ava Kathryn Colosimo, Nicholas Christopher Colosimo, Isabella “Isa” Marie Tramonte and Harrison Reed Tramonte.

Visitation will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home, 4525 Bissonnet St., Bellaire, TX followed by the Funeral Mass at 2:00 PM at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX on Monday, July 24, 2017. Private burial will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in memory of Fred to OPTIONS, Inc.,19362 West Shelton Road, Hammond, LA 70401 or www.options4u.org which is an organization that has helped his sister-in-law, Brenda Chauvin and others with special needs throughout their lives.