And There We Were (Available From the Author or Amazon)

And There We Were: The Baker’s Son and Sawyer’s Daughter

Many children from small towns dream big. They are drawn to and dream of the wonders in the world beyond the boundaries of their geography. Sometimes dreams do come true. Bob lent and Shirley Hill came from modest means, found them selves drawn to each other after tortuous paths on their early lives. Neither could have imagined the journey they would take together. Their life was filled with travel to exotic places and to homes in countries they never would have thought possible. More than anything it was the beauty, charm, and wit of Shirley (Hill) Lent that made the journey so memorable. The tale is told through the eyes of Bob Lent who captured the magnificence of life lived with one who was fierce in her determination to make every adventure or experience in life as good as it could be. Shirley lent charmed many, whether they were peasants or royalty. Her path through life is a template for all young ladies who want to live life to the maximum. Shirley certainly did, and Bob Lent was a witness to and a participant in a life well lived.

Robert Lent

Born November 21, 1941 in Oregon City, Oregon, Robert Lent grew up in Central Oregon and graduated Crook County High School in Prineville, Oregon in 1961, subsequently earning a B.A. in Geology (1964), a B.S. in Mathematics (1967), and a PhD. in Geology (1969) from the University of Oregon.  

Bob married Shirley Hill on July 6, 1968. Following graduation in 1969, the young couple moved to Denver, Colorado where he began a 25-year sojourn as an exploration geologist and geophysicist for three Denver oil companies. They raised two sons, Tobin and Taran, both outstanding scholar athletes in high school and in college.

After joining Kerr-McGee Corporation in 1993, Bob served as country Vice President and Exploration Manager, first in London, then in 1998, in Beijing, returning to Kerr-McGee’s Houston office in1999. He retired as Vice-President of International Exploration in January 2004.

Prior to his departure from China in 1999, the Chinese Government, recognized Bob and nine other Foreign Experts at a prestigious state dinner attended by most of China’s top leaders and held in the Great Hall of the People.

Bob’s scientific knowledge and his managerial acumen resulted in the October 1999 discovery of a major oil field in China’s Bohai Bay.

In 2008, during his induction as one of Crook County High School’s Distinguished Alumni, Bob remarked that it was almost unbelievable that a boy from Prineville, Oregon had been honored by the Chinese Government for work accomplished as a scientist and businessman.

Despite unusually extensive personal and professional travels, and his impressive business achievements, Bob is most proud of never having lost sight of what was really “best” in life: his family.