Orville Clayton Whitehead

Orville Clayton “Clay” Whitehead, 72, passed away on July 26, 2015 in Houston. He was born on August 17, 1942 in Georgetown, Texas. He spent his childhood in nearby Coleman, where he graduated from Coleman High School in 1960. From there, Clay moved on to the University of Houston. He was a proud member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and graduated with a degree in Mathematics in 1964. Remaining in Houston after college, he spent the next 20 years working first with Prudential, and then with Aetna. Life and career took him to Columbus, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky after that, before returning to Houston for good in 2000 to work as a Principal with Arthur Andersen, L.L.P. and then as an Administrator with St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System.

Clay valued family and friends most of all, and derived his greatest pleasures in life from playing golf, working in the yard, telling old stories about life in Coleman and Houston, and being a supportive husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Betty; son, David of San Francisco, CA; sister, Patsy Slate of Coleman, TX and brother, Harvey Whitehead (Pam) of Wasilla, AK. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvie Lee Whitehead and Nydia Wright Whitehead; and brothers Vernon Lee Whitehead and James Bradford Whitehead.

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 31, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Memorial Oaks Funeral Home and Cemetery in Houston. A private graveside funeral service will take place the following afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at the same location.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to: The University of Houston, attn: “Clay Whitehead Memorial Fund,” 400 E. Cullen Bldg., Houston, TX 77204.