MICHAEL SNOW STEVENS, a loving husband to his wife Kim of 34 years went to be with the Lord Saturday May 24th at the age of 58. Michael was valiantly battling cancer and was free from that disease when he succumbed to pneumonia.

His exceptionally full life centered around him and Kim actively raising their three grandchildren. No matter what his schedule demanded, Michael was present to coach a full slate of games with Anthony and Gracie, horseback ride with Kassidy, and as only he could do, simultaneously blend phone calls from CEOs and top elected officials while participating in kids' birthday parties and daily fun.

In the business arena Michael was exceptionally talented as Michael Stevens Interests and its affiliates acquired, developed, and operated more than 80 real estate projects including over 10,000 apartment units and 40 different commercial projects representing more than 10 million square feet of rentable building area. This was accomplished with great loyalty and dedication of all the incredible associates and employees he loved so much. But his greatest contribution was not to his own business, but to the City, State, and Nation that he loved. Michael led the financing and development of more than one billion dollars of public or non-profit projects. These include (but are not limited to) such major Houston projects as the conversion of the downtown Rice Hotel to the Rice Lofts, the 1,200 room Hilton Americas Convention Hotel, the Houston Astros Minute Maid Park, and the Houston Texans Reliant Stadium. As Chairman of the Building and Interiors Committee of Baylor College of Medicine, he led the development of many research, office, and clinic buildings as well as the new one million square foot hospital, clinic, and office campus currently under construction.

Michael Stevens also actively served on the Board of Directors/Trustees and Executive Committee of Baylor College of Medicine, the Greater Houston Partnership and the Governors Business Council. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Memorial Hermann Foundation and Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC. Michael was recently appointed by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst to the Sunset Advisory Commission on which he greatly anticipated making a lasting difference in our State's Government structure and efficiency.

Michael Steven's involvement in state and local transportation issues was extensive. He chaired the Transportation Task Force of the Governor's Business Council, served as Vice Chair of the Greater Houston Partnership Transportation and Infrastructure Advisory Committee, and was on the Executive Committee of the Gulf Coast Regional Mobility Partners. He also served on the Executive Committee of the Texas Urban Transportation Alliance promoting urban transportation efforts statewide and was appointed to serve on the Study Commission on Transportation Financing by Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst. He also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Greater Houston Partnership's Travel Rate Improvement Project (TRIP 2000), responsible for the development of a congestion management plan for the Houston region.

Among his other volunteer positions, Michael Stevens faithfully served as a Deacon at Second Baptist Church and was the Chairman of the church's Centurion Foundation which televises the sermons of Dr. Edwin Young reaching a worldwide audience of over 1.25 million people per week. He also served as Chairman of the church's Building Committee for the Woodway Campus in Houston, Texas.

Michael Stevens was a native Houstonian attending Robert E. Lee High School and graduating from the University of Houston in 1973 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. He was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps. Michael was 18 years old and Kim was 16 years old when they first met and fell in love. His great love for children won Kim's heart immediately. Their life together began with little more than the love they had for each other and for life itself. His brilliance, dazzling smile, and sparkle in his eyes will never be forgotten. Their love for each other even in the last days of his battle with cancer was an example to all who supported and attended him during their courageous fight for his life.

His zest for life was contagious to all who knew him especially the children and young people that were drawn to him. Michael was quick to witness that the light in his life came from a deep love of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. His impact in the lives and the face of this community will be felt for generations to come and he will be greatly missed. But that tribute to Michael Stevens is incomplete. How do you measure a man's life? The Measure of a Man is not how tall he stands, how wealthy or intelligent he was. The measure of a man God knows and understands, for He looks inside to the bottom of his heart...and what's in the heart defines the measure of a man.

Michael Snow Stevens is survived by his loving wife, Kim who shared his life for 34 years, beloved grandchildren Grace Noel MacKenzie, Anthony Michael MacKenzie and Kassidy Ann MacKenzie as well as one brother, Vance Stevens and his wife Bobbie and their two children Glenn and Dusty, sister Leslie MacClean and her husband Chris, their two children Warren and Emily MacClean, and sister in law Linda K. Stevens and her 7 children and 11 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Darrell and Marianne Stevens, and his older half brother Darrell Stevens, Jr.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock in the evening on Tuesday, the 27th of May, in the Library of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A funeral service will be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Wednesday, the 28th of May in the Worship Center of Second Baptist Church, 6400 Woodway in Houston, where Dr. H. Edwin Young will serve as officiant. Honored to serve as casket bearers are Steve Aldridge, George Boutros, Steve Dillard, Edd Hendee, David Hughes, Skip McBride, Scott Posell, Jim Smith, Steve Wagner, and Dick Weekly. Serving as honorary casket bearers are Atty. General Greg Abbott, Bruce Belin, Hon. Tom DeLay, Dr. Jim DeLoach, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Dr. Michael Duncan, Judge Robert Eckels, Mayor Bob Lanier, Dr. Rick Leachman, Bob McNair, Bob Perry, Joe Reynolds, Mike Richards, and Ben Sprague.

The family of Michael Stevens wishes to extend their heartfelt appreciation to those Doctors, Nurses, Specialists and other MD Anderson staff as well as the personal caregivers who attended the needs of Michael Stevens during his battle with cancer.

In lieu of usual remembrances and in celebration of Michael's life, the family requests with gratitude that contributions in his memory be directed to Second Baptist School Michael Stevens Fund, 6400 Woodway, Houston, TX. 77057.

You are invited to sign the the Guest Book at Chron.com

Stevens Helped Revitalize Houston

By TODD ACKERMAN

Michael Stevens, a suburban apartment developer whose financial wizardry helped forge the revitalization of downtown Houston, died Saturday. He was 58.

Stevens, whose projects included Minute Maid Park, Bayou Place and the Rice Lofts, succumbed to pneumonia Saturday at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He was being treated there for lymphoma, a cancer involving cells of the immune system.

"He was an enormous force to have on the city's side," said former Mayor Bob Lanier. "He was a great and exceptionally smart man, full of energy, who did everything he could for his family, church and city.

We're all better off for the time he spent with us."

Dave Walden, Lanier's chief of staff, said: "The true loss was Stevens'

example as a genuine public servant, never looking to make something for himself, wholly devoted to the common good."

His company, Michael Stevens Interests has developed, acquired and managed more than 80 real estate projects valued at over $580 million.

Stevens' involvement in civic causes was extensive. He was Houston's first assistant to the mayor under Lanier for housing and inner-city revitalization, a job for which he was paid $1. He served as a board member of institutions that included the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority and Baylor College of Medicine, and he led tax-, lawsuit- and transportation-reform efforts.

Stevens also is credited with creating the Homes for Houston program, which built or improved over 20,000 units of affordable housing in Houston.

"He wanted to make a difference in the world," said Kim Stevens, his wife of 34 years, who started dating him when she was 16 and he was 18.

"He worked endless hours in an effort to give something back."

In all, Stevens led the development of more than $1 billion worth of public or nonprofit projects, including Reliant Stadium, the Toyota Center and the demolition and reconstruction of Allen Parkway Village.

At Baylor, where he chaired the building committee, Stevens was instrumental in the college's construction of the Alkek Building for Biomedical Research, the Michael E. DeBakey library/museum and the outpatient clinic and hospital.

A native Houstonian, Stevens graduated from the University of Houston in 1973 with an undergraduate degree in business administration. He served and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps.

Besides his wife, Stevens is survived by his three grandchildren.

Visitation will be held 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons funeral home, 1010 Bering. The funeral service will be 11 a.m.Wednesday at Second Baptist Church, 6400 Woodway.

todd.ackerman@chron.com

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Baytown Sun Letter to the Editor by Jack Rains

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Abode July 2008 Article

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TLR Advocate Summer 2008

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