Frederick Leigh "Fred" Preston

Memorial services for Frederick Leigh “Fred” Preston, 96, of Lufkin will be held Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church.

Frederick Leigh Preston, “Fred”, was born January 27, 1930 in Charleston, West Virginia to the late Seaton Tinsley and Sarah Kathryn (Barber) Preston of Orange City, Florida, and died Sunday, March 8, 2026 in Flower Mound, Texas. He graduated from Charleston High School and then Virginia Tech with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering in 1952. He worked at Allegheny Ludlum Steel in Dunkirk, New York 1952-64, Auto Specialties Manufacturing in St. Joseph, Michigan 1964-80 and then Lufkin Industries from 1980 to 1997 when he retired as Foundry Metallurgist.

Fred served in the U.S. Army Signal Corp from 1954 to 1956 as a SP 3 in Microwave Radio. It was while he was serving in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey that he met and married his wife, Betty Aumack Preston from Fair Haven, New Jersey.

Fred was active in many technical societies, serving on numerous committees in the American Foundrymen's Society, and as Chairman of the Malleable Iron Division. He also served several terms as Chairman of the Metals Research and Development Foundation, served on committees in the Ductile Iron Society, and on Handbook Committees of the American Society for Metals. He was also active in the Malleable Founders Society and the Society for Non Destructive Testing. Fred had a license as a Professional Engineer. Fred made two trips to Europe related to his work, 1972 and 2002.

In 2000 Fred started his second career working as a Sales Associate with Century 21. After 2 years he moved to Gann Medford Real Estate and retired in 2015.

He was a member and a past president of the local Kiwanis Club and participated in many of the Zoo projects at Ellen Trout. He later joined the Kiwanis Seniors and served as president several times. He was active in St. Cyprian's Church serving on a breakfast team from January 1980 to January 2020 and serving as an acolyte for several years. Fred was president of the Lt. Nathan Gann Chapter of SAR from 2004 to 2010.

Fred enjoyed playing tennis, and table tennis. Hobbies included model railroading, studying his genealogy and maintaining extensive web pages of genealogy, also a page for the Lt. Nathan Gann Chapter SAR, and the local Kiwanis Club and the Lufkin Tennis Association. In College he won the table tennis championship at Virginia Tech in 1950.

He is survived by a son, Frederick L. Preston, Jr. and wife Betsy of Sun City West, Arizona; daughter, Linda Preston Reay and her husband Gordon Reay of St. Joseph, Michigan; son, Robert James and his wife Teresa Hartwick Preston of Flower Mound, Texas; and a daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca Ann and Pat D’Arcangeli of Canyon Lake, Texas. Survivors also include grandchildren, Melissa Hennon of Littleton Colorado, Kelly Preston Fafoutis of Magnolia, Texas, Joann Snyder, Cynthia Myers and Kathryn Bare of St. Joseph, Michigan, also Amanda, Amy, Samantha Adams, James and Christopher Preston of Flower Mound, Texas and Nicole Petry of Center, Texas. He also has 16 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Preston; his parents; and his brothers, Seaton Tinsley Preston, Jr. of Winnetka, Illinois and James B. Preston of Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.