Stephen Davis

The son of subcontractor Lewis Davis and homemaker Lucille Davis (née Stanley) of Houston, Steve developed the gumption and grit early on that helped him become successful later in life. While working full time during both high school and college, Steve joined forces with a handful of friends to create Spectrum, a scoreboard company that is still thriving today. After earning his degree in electrical engineering from the University of Houston, Steve burnished his résumé at Texas Instruments for nine years. Steve's entrepreneurial spirit was too great to be contained, so he left TI with two other engineers to found Davis, Nussrallah, & Associates, a business that custom-designed computer chips. Steve ultimately became the sole owner of the business, which became Design Engineering, Inc., and later, Oasix, Inc.

At the age of 48, Steve's vigorous work ethic and ingenuity were well rewarded; he sold Oasix to Texas Instruments, then retired and devoted the remainder of his life to socializing with friends and family, earning his pilot's license, traveling the world, and determining the perfect butter-layering technique for his movie theater popcorn.

Second only to his love for friends and family was Steve's enjoyment of live performances and college sports, as evidenced by his generous donations to and involvement in numerous local organizations. Among his other charitable activities, Steve assisted in the development and construction of the Long Center, served as the indefatigable chairman of the Austin Lyric Opera, and sponsored numerous University of Houston athletes, with whom he would fly across the country to cheer on in person. Steve was a firm believer in affordable public education, a loyal supporter of his beloved Houston Astros, and insistent about the meticulous maintenance of his spreadsheets.

Steve will be lovingly remembered for, among many other things, his ability to make a friend of any stranger, his excellent renditions of show tunes, his joy in telling jokes (most of which were quite good), and his determination to make his and his family's lives as fulfilled and enjoyable as possible.

Steve was preceded in death by his older son Adam, and his younger brother Randy. He is survived by his high-school sweetheart and wife of 47 years, Sherry Lynn Davis (née Hunter), son Andrew Davisson and daughter-in-law, William, brother, Stanley, and his wife, Sandee, nephews and nieces Tim, Doug, Jenna, Amy, Samantha, and Lacie, and a baker's dozen of great-nieces and great-nephews.

A memorial service will be held to celebrate Steve's life on Sunday, September 30, 2018, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the Long Center's Kodosky Lounge.

In lieu of flowers, Steve's family, friends, and fans are encouraged to honor Steve's generous nature by making donations in his name to the Melanoma Research Foundation, Hospice Austin's Christopher House, or the University of Houston's need-based scholarship fund. Scholarship donations may be made as checks payable to University of Houston, with "Need-based scholarship fund" as the memo, and mailed to:

University of Houston System

Gift Processing and Records

P.O. Box 867