Donor Honors Aggie Son With Gift Benefitting Texas A&M’s Clark Hospital

Priscilla “Prissy” Abshier Sliva knows that a love for animals can be a force for good. After losing her son — who was a devoted dog lover and lifelong Texas A&M fan — she adopted his mission of “giving back to make a difference.”

“My son always hoped to make a difference in whatever he did,” Sliva said. “Now, through our family company and as an individual, that’s what I try to do, too.”

To honor her son, Robert Jeffrey “Jeff” Sliva, who tragically passed away on Aug. 5, 2020, Sliva is supporting the new Linda & Dennis Clark ’68 Small Animal Teaching Hospital by providing the funds to establish The Jeff Sliva ’95 Canine Waiting Area; this area will provide a special place for all dogs and their owners who visit the facility, the construction of which is currently underway.

With three dogs of her own, Sliva is grateful to be a part of the effort.

“I feel so honored to be a small part of it,” she said. “Jeff would be so thrilled that we’re involved in this new hospital.”

Honoring Jeff’s Love For Dogs, Texas A&M

Sliva describes Jeff as caring, thoughtful, generous, compassionate, fun, and witty.

A graduate of Stratford High School in Houston, where he loved playing football and soccer, Jeff looked forward to the summers, during which he would spend three weeks at Camp Longhorn in the Texas Hill country. He also enjoyed traveling to Alaska and Canada with his father, Robert Frank “Bob” Sliva, for fishing trips.

However, if there was one thing that stood out about Jeff, it was his love for dogs of all shapes and sizes.

“Jeff never met a dog he didn’t love,” Sliva said. “He didn’t care how they looked or behaved; he loved them all. He would take in any dog he could and take it to the vet for their vaccines so someone could adopt it.”

Jeff had two dogs of his own — a Vizsla named Bud and a Jack Russell Terrier named Rebel. However, he always seemed to have more around due to his compassionate heart for homeless dogs.

The Sliva family always said that in a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog.

Because Jeff considered his dogs part of his family, when any of his dogs passed away, Jeff held a proper funeral and burial with a priest from the Episcopal Church for them.

“Before he had children, those dogs were his children,” Sliva said. “One time, when there was colder weather, he found five puppies in a pasture, so he took them home and had seven dogs for a while.”

Jeff also was an avid fan of Texas A&M, a love he developed during his time as a student.

“With six A&M graduates in our family, we all love the camaraderie of the university,” Sliva said. “Jeff always had season tickets and loved taking his children to events. Even as babies, his twins were decked out in A&M gear going to ball games.”

After graduating from college, Jeff began working for the Sliva family companies, Pepco Promotional and Pepco Sports, traveling across the country to represent the business at trade shows. When his father retired from the company in 2015, Jeff stepped into the role of president and general manager.

Because he was incredibly patriotic, Pepco Promotional’s core principle — “Made in the USA” — resonated deeply with Jeff.

“Jeff championed our core principle in every aspect of his work,” Sliva said. “From product research to the trade show floor, he always highlighted the craftsmanship and integrity behind the brand.”

Jeff had always wanted to install a large American flag in front of the business.

This past October, the company fulfilled his wish by installing a large American flag, dedicating it on Jeff’s birthday. The flag was named “Jeff’s Flag” and serves as a symbol of Jeff’s love for the business and his patriotism.

Caring For Others

Outside of work, Jeff’s compassionate and caring nature could be seen through his involvement in humanitarian projects.

Jeff traveled as a representative of the Wharton Rotary Club to Nicaragua, where he learned about impoverished children and a school built there to support them. These children had spent their days in the dump trying to find food, until a school was built to provide them with hot meals and trade classes, preparing them to get a job.

After visiting, he was so touched by what he saw that he began advocating for the cause across the Houston area, visiting rotary clubs and presenting slide shows to gain support and raise awareness for the school.

Through the Rotary International Student Exchange Program, Jeff and his wife, Phyllis, also hosted three exchange students — males from Germany and France and a female from the Czech Republic.

Because of the significant impacts Jeff made, he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship from the Wharton Rotary Club.

Jeff also served his community as senior warden at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Wharton.

His generous nature also carried into his work, so the company has adopted Jeff’s idea of giving back by providing support to different causes each year. This year, they assisted those affected by the hurricane in North Carolina.

Jeff was incredibly close to his family and was passionate about cooking, so his parents often went to his house for dinner during the week. Jeff always invited friends and neighbors over to enjoy a meal as well.

“Jeff had an affectionate personality and cared deeply for those around him,” Sliva said. “He always ended a conversation by telling me how much he loved me and was constantly striving to be a better father for his children.”

Making A Difference

Jeff’s spirit lives on through Sliva and the generous efforts she is making to honor him.

“I was once told ‘You live, you give, you leave,’” Sliva said. “I have decided I want to be like Jeff and give to things that are meaningful to our family. This is one of those causes.”

Always impressed by the continuous work being done at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), Sliva was honored to support the college’s new small animal teaching hospital, which will provide a new home for exemplary veterinary education, advanced patient care, and groundbreaking research across 15 veterinary specialties.

“I’m just so thrilled about the hospital and what it brings, not only to the students but also to sick animals that can’t be diagnosed or treated elsewhere,” Sliva said. “I believe A&M is already one of the greatest veterinary programs, and once the hospital is built, I know it will be the best.”

Sliva is eager to see the VMBS continue to advance its groundbreaking research efforts and knows Jeff would be honored to play a role in creating a brighter future for veterinary medicine and pet owners not only in Texas, but across the nation and world.

“Jeff was a giver, never met a dog he didn’t love, and loved Texas A&M,” Sliva said. “Being a part of the new small animal teaching hospital is the most fitting tribute to Jeff. It makes me very happy to be able to do this, despite the situation. It’s a high point for me and I know Jeff would be proud of this effort.