Daren Vann Livingston of Brookshire, TX passed away on April 29, 2017. Daren spent his last moments atop his favorite pony, playing polo, the game he loved. Daren was a cherished husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, and mentor. He pursued his passions with heart and soul, including raising horses and playing polo, nurturing precious relationships with family and friends, cheering on his Sooners, and avidly listening to and playing music. Daren’s gentle soul and confident determination leave a lasting legacy. 👾

Daren was born on April 7, 1962, in Los Angeles, CA, to parents Bud and Ann Livingston and siblings Buddie and Dana. He instantly became the heart of his family, the “Little Thing.” He spent his youth in Pawhuska, OK, where he first learned to ride a horse and formed a lasting connection with the land that is the Osage. Daren and family moved to Tulsa, OK in 1970, and a new adventure awaited. The friends he made as a Grissom Astro, Thoreau Titan, and Memorial Charger are still among his closest friends. He loved sports and athletic pursuits. His teammates still talk of the seventh grade All City Championship game where he quarterbacked them to victory! Daren graduated from Memorial High School in 1980, lettering in football and track. Daren attended his beloved University of Oklahoma, where he was a member of the Oklahoma Kappa chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. His brothers fondly called him the “CFO,” Chief Fun Officer. He graduated with a BBA in Finance in 1985. “Boomer Sooner” was the anthem of his life.  He was “Sooner born, Sooner bred….”

After college, Daren moved to Los Angeles, CA, where he began polo lessons and ultimately made polo his professional career. He managed the Indoor Pro Polo League at the LA Equestrian Center, managed the Fleming Spring Ranch in San Saba, TX and Broadacres Polo Club in Norman, OK.   Daren then moved to Houston, TX to manage the Houston Polo Club where he was the general manager for over 15 years.   Daren passed on his passion for polo through his involvement in interscholastic polo, and he was admired by his teammates and competitors for both his talent and sportsmanship. Polo legend, Memo Gracida, has said of Daren, “He was not only a great friend, but a great teammate. It was an honor to play with Daren…” 

At the time of his death, Daren was Vice President of Marketing for DRI Logistics, a provider and vendor for drilling rigs and oil field equipment. The oil patch was in his blood, following in the footsteps of his grandfathers, father, and brother. His brother, Buddie, was his mentor and partner in many projects. Daren travelled the world for business, but his greatest pleasure came from his projects in Oklahoma, usually ending in a trip to Pawhuska to take in the beauty of the tallgrass prairie and the rolling hills of the Osage.

Daren fell in love with his wife, Tammy Maxwell, while working at the LA Equestrian Center in California. They were married on August 28, 1991, in Miami, OK, and spent the next 25 years building a life together, raising horses, playing polo, and loving on their pups. Daren and Tammy found a second family in Houston, forming deep bonds with their friends from the polo community, the Houston Rodeo, and their many other philanthropic endeavors. Daren displayed his true heroism when, after a flood devastated his ranch, he swam each of his horses to safety and then came to the aid of neighbors and their animals. He made his community proud.