Michael Davis

Obituary – The Reverend Michael M. Davis

The Reverend Michael M. “Mike” Davis passed away on Thursday, May 4, 2023, at age 84, just shy of his 85th birthday, after a two-year fight against esophageal cancer.  He died at home with his beloved wife Pattie Rose holding his hand.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, moving to San Antonio, Texas, as a boy.  A proud graduate of TMI-Episcopal in San Antonio, then Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, he joined the Navy.  After completing Officer Candidate School and Deep Sea Diving School, he served on a Fleet Tug on the East Coast, followed by a stint on a troop transport ship in the Indian Ocean carrying UN peacekeeping forces to the Congo.  Following military discharge he enrolled in The Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California, to pursue his Master of Divinity Degree.  While there, he met and married his first wife, Betsy, who preceded him in death.

After ordination to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church in 1967, he served a small church in Kingsville, Texas, then began the main focus of his career—religious education—as chaplain at his alma mater, TMI-Episcopal.  He earned a master’s degree at the University of Texas-San Antonio, served as headmaster of Episcopal schools in Houston and Marshall, Texas, then became rector of All Saints Episcopal Church, San Benito, Texas.  Beginning with Cursillo #1, he was a leader in the Cursillo Movement in the Diocese of West Texas.  Following a period out of the active ministry, he returned to TMI in 1990 as chaplain, fully retiring in the mid-90s.  Yet he continued his ministry in retirement, serving as supply priest to many small Episcopal churches in South Texas, especially St. Timothy’s in Cotulla, Texas, where he completed 25 years doing Sunday services, baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

Widowed in 2007, he soon reconnected with his high school sweetheart, Pattie Rose.  They married, he moved to Austin, became an active member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and they embarked on 14 years of wide-ranging travel that the two of them relished.  Mike loved deeply with a generous heart, and loved traveling.  He was always up for a road trip to West Texas, a visit with his daughter, her husband, and their children in Alabama, or a sailing adventure with his son in the waters around Seattle.  His lifelong love of jazz music began in his college days, and with a beautiful tenor voice he enthusiastically sang church music as well.

He was preceded in death by his parents Margaret and David Davis and his daughter Michelle Pipes.  He is survived by his dear wife Pattie, his son Jonathan, Poulsbo, WA, brother Peter Davis and wife Jamey, McKinney, TX, son-in-law Jady Pipes, grandchildren: Sarah (Brian), Katherine (Zac), Aaron, Jady Ray II (Marie), David, Brandon, Peerson, Isabella, Colton, and Jenna-laine, as well as 4 living great-grandchildren and one more to be born soon, stepdaughters, Carolyn (Gregg), Nancy, Joanne (Ariston), step-grandchilden Walker, Ariston, Matthew, Mary and Grace, and a host of nieces and nephews, and their children.

His family wishes to give special thanks to his oncologist, Dr. Punit Chadha, Texas Oncology South Austin, and his staff for treatment that gave him more time to travel and be with his family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to TMI-Episcopal, 20955 W. Tejas Trail, San Antonio, TX 78257, to the Eric Panter Memorial Fund for Music at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2128 Barton Hills Dr., Austin, TX 78704, or to a charity of your choice.

Funeral & Inurnment Services to held Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.  St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2128 Barton Hills Drive, Austin; a reception in the Parish Hall will follow the service.