Marvin Yale Davis, 84, of McAllen, TX, passed away peacefully on Monday, Oct. 31, at Waterford Gardens in Mission, TX. Funeral services were held Monday, Nov. 7, at Kridler Funeral Home in McAllen.
Sincere condolences from OnionBusiness to Marvin’s family during this difficult time.
Marvin is survived by his wife Deitrah; daughter Danielle Melbouci and husband Sadi and their two children, Audric and Bryceton; son Michael Davis and wife Claudia, and their three children, Kristen, Michael Jr. and Kimberly; three grandsons, Deuce, Erik, and Landen Myatt. He is also survived by his two sisters, Ellen Roy and Rene Stuckey, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and loved ones. Marvin was preceded in death by his parents, Saul and Reva Davis, and his stepson, Mark Myatt.
As one of Texas’s and the country’s produce veterans, Marvin leaves behind many friends, longtime employees, people he mentored, and industry colleagues.
Marvin was born Sept. 2, 1938, to Saul and Reva Davis in Detroit, MI. When he was four years old, his family moved to Phoenix, AZ, where Marvin spent his childhood growing up with his two sisters, Ellen and Rene.
He attended the University of Arizona on a baseball scholarship for two years and left to pursue a career in major league baseball with the New York Giants. Due to a sports injury, he left baseball and began his career in the produce business.
Marvin started his career in the product industry in the early 1960s at Pacific Fruit Company (Topco). Around 1964 he moved to the Rio Grande Valley to open the field office for Topco. Though he always said that when he came down to South Texas, it was temporary, he fell in love with the area. After leaving Topco, Marvin started working for Teddy Bertuca Company and Bannworth Company as head of sales, and in 1971 he went on to establish his own business which at one time had offices in California, Arizona, Florida, and Texas.
In the early years of his company, his passion was lettuce, cantaloupes, and honeydews, but he brokered all commodities and at one time was one of the largest brokers in the country. In the mid-1990s his son Michael Davis came into the business, and they began specializing in growing, packing and shipping onions together.
In 2016, while she was attending Texas A&M University, his granddaughter Kristen Davis started working for the company during summer vacation and came on full-time in 2019. It was one of his greatest pleasures to be able to mentor his granddaughter.
Marvin mentored many salespeople in the produce industry and loved working in the produce industry. His joy of being able to work side by side with his family was a dream come true. Now his produce legacy is carried on by his son Michael and grandchildren at Tex-Mex Sales of Weslaco, TX. Marvin will always be remembered for his love of family, work, and sports.
Industry colleagues remember Marvin as an industry giant, with Don Ed Holmes of The Onion House in Weslaco saying, “I had known Marvin since 1977, and I always enjoyed working with him. He was a great man and did a lot for the industry, and we’re really going to miss him.”
Don Ed said Marvin “told it like it was… you always knew where you stood with him, and he himself was a stand-up guy.”
Joshua Frederick with Snake River Produce in Nyssa, OR, concurred, saying, “Our deepest condolences to the Marvin Davis family. Mr. Marvin and his family have been great friends for many years and business colleagues in our industry, and we lift the Davis family up in our thoughts and prayers. He was one of the good guys and will truly be missed.”
Contributions in memory of Marvin Y. Davis may be made to some of his favorite charities or associations:
Temple Emanuel, 4300 N Chai St., McAllen, TX 78504
Palm Valley Animal Shelter, 2501 W Trenton Rd., Edinburg, TX 78539
Young Texas International Produce Association c/o Texas International Produce Association, 901 Business Park Dr., Ste. 500, Mission, TX 78572.
