Funeral services take place for Saint Francis shooting victims

There are no words to describe the gut-wrenching heartbreak we are experiencing. Losing Preston has created a void in our lives that can never be filled. This beautiful, gracious, brilliant husband and father meant the world to us and many others. He was a humble man and we are humbled by the reverberation his loss has created around the world.

Our profound loss is further deepened with the heartbreak that other lives were taken and people were harmed. To the other families impacted by this tragedy, we know what you are feeling, and we send our heartfelt condolences.

Our lives are forever changed. The impact of his loss spans continents. From his home in Tulsa to the Togo clinic, where the operating room bears his name, Preston’s legacy will endure. For the people who were his patients, he became not just their healer, but their hero. Beyond his orthopedic practice, he was a mentor to many and a friend to all.

Preston was the essence of the man that God would want us all to be. He lived a life of service that was cruelly cut short by violence.

It honors Preston’s spirit of service to hear that his colleagues are working frantically to recruit an orthopedist to journey to Africa later this year in his place to ensure patients scheduled for surgeries receive the care they need – even in his absence and as we grieve.

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As a husband to Melody, Preston was her best friend and the love of her life. As a father to three, he helped create a home where the love was clear, unhidden and out loud. He set a standard that inspired each of his children’s personal growth. Even with his great accomplishments, he did not expect them to fill his shoes. His only desire was that they try their hardest, do their best and be good and honest people.

For Preston’s son and two daughters, childhood was, in part, defined by relationships he formed with patients from his orthopedic practice. The family was informally “adopted” by many patients that became pseudo grandparents, aunts, uncles and lifelong friends. There were countless holidays and visits spent with those beautiful souls. At times, it was a stretch for the children to grasp that they weren’t related to these chosen family members by anything other than the bond of friendship.

Preston was proud to be from a family of nine children. He was number six. He loved spending time with his five brothers and three sisters. Along his life journey, he accumulated friends that became family, forging relationships that endured across years and miles.

Preston’s competitiveness is renowned. Whether it be dominoes or Bid Whist, he enjoyed a good game and the friendly banter that always ensued. He was giant of a man - big, tall and strong. He loved the game of tennis. It quickly became a welcomed way to work out after a long workday and work week.

Preston’s hands said a lot about him. They were large – matching his 6-foot, 5-inch frame. At the same time, they were gentle, controlled by noticeably muscled forearms to perform intricate surgeries with precision. When he greeted you, he had an openness that you could see in his hands – palms up, arms open – that set you at ease and embraced you with his full attention.

He loved life and lived it to its fullest.