Odis Lee Peavy

Odis Lee Peavy, passed away on Tuesday, the 29th of December 2020, at the age of 91 years. He was born on the 7th of June 1929 in the small town of Appleby, Texas, seven miles northeast of Nacogdoches. His father, Bert Peavy, was a farmer and his mother, Ima Singleton, was a seamstress. Following the death of his father in 1934 from tuberculosis, the family moved closer to Nacogdoches.

Odis worked in a bakery while attending Nacogdoches High School. After graduating high school in 1946, he moved to Dallas and worked for Texas Power & Light. In October 1948, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an Interior Communications Electrician Fireman Recruit. While in the service, he graduated from the Naval Electrical School in San Diego and was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in Orange, Texas. By 1951, he had been promoted to IC Electrician Petty Officer 3rd Class.

Upon receiving his honorable discharge in August 1952, Odis attended the University of Texas in Austin. He worked as a credit adjustor for Commercial Credit Corporation in Austin in 1954. He moved to Houston in 1955 and worked as a credit manager for several companies. In 1956, he met Estelle Carol Moreau, a recent nursing school graduate who was working at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

They were married on the 28th of September 1956 in Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. In 1958 they purchased a house in Bellaire and raised their three children; Kathleen, Elizabeth, and David.

Odis was an active member of Holy Ghost Catholic Church. During his life, he was involved with both Marian High School and the creation of Marian Christian High School, Catholic Charities, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Serra Club, and the University of St. Thomas. Following the leadership of his wife, Odis and Carol provided critical financial support for the re-establishment of a school of nursing at the University of St. Thomas. In 2014, at the school’s inaugural graduation ceremony, the University of St. Thomas named the nursing school the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing.

Odis formed a car rental and leasing company with Jack Roach in 1964. In 1972, he became the president for Trans-Pacific Leasing, focusing on leasing cars and trucks. He and Joe Myers, formed Joe Myers Rental Co. in 1977. In 1983, he started his own car and truck rental company called PV Rentals, Inc.

Professionally, he was active in the National Association of Fleet Administrators, the Ford Rent-a-Car System, the Car & Truck Rental Association of Texas, and the Houston Area Car Rental Association. He attended many professional conferences and was a conference presenter several times.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Bert and Ima; brother, Gaylon Lafayette Peavy; sister-in-law, Miriam “Bobbie” Bryan; wife of 60 years, Carol; and daughter, Elizabeth Ann Peavy, DDS. He is survived by his daughter, Kathleen Peavy Van Deventer and husband Richard; son, David Peavy and husband Stephen McCauley, PhD; his grandchildren, Nancy Michelle Bailey, William Bailey, Kyle McCauley, and Sean McCauley; and nieces, Patsy Peavy Green and husband Roger; and Brenda Peavy Johnson and husband David.

The family would like to thank the staff at Houston Hospice for their loving care in his last days. The family also wishes to express their sincere gratitude to Guadalupe and Leticia Porras for their loving dedication to caring for Odis. Their commitment and support for Odis was instrumental in his enjoyment of these last few years.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from four o’clock in the afternoon until six o’clock in the evening on Friday, the 1st of January, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. In accordance with current Covid-19 protocols and for the health and safety of all guests, masks and social distancing are required.

A Mass of Christian Burial is to be offered at ten o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 2nd of January, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1111 St. Joseph Parkway in Houston. (Kindly note: The Co-Cathedral asks that all visitors wear masks and practice social distancing. While seated in the pews, they encourage visitors to have at least six feet between themselves and individuals who are not from their household.) For those unable to attend you may the livestream of the service may be accessed by selecting the "Join Livestream" icon in the service information below.

The Rite of Committal will immediately follow, via escorted cortege, at the Memorial Mission Mausoleum at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Road in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing, University of St. Thomas, 3800 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006.