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The
brass panther is a gift from the Van
Stavern estate in memory of their
love and support for kids; every
booster and support groups efforts
on behalf of every student of Odessa’s
schools!
 Robert
Mearl Van Stavern was born in
Collinsville, Oklahoma. He first
worked at a teenager for the Civilian
Conservation Corps in the Idaho logging
camps and came to Odessa in 1936 to work
in the oil fields. He met his wife,
Dorothy at the Northside (now 6th
& North Jackson) Church of Christ in
Odessa. They were married in
February 1941. He was a diver and
helped raise and salvage the ships at
Pearl Harbor in WWII. He later served in
the Army as a medic. Following the war,
he moved back to Odessa where he was a
life long resident. He was a lay
minister and retired employee of Sears
Roebuck and the first million dollar
salesman from the southwest zone of
Sears.
Dorothy Jean (Hise)
Van Stavern was born in Ranger, Texas
and was the daughter of a rig builder.
She lived in Ranger, Big Spring and
Odessa. She graduated from Odessa High
School in 1941, where she was a
cheerleader. She worked as a riveter in
the aircraft factories in Long Beach
California while Mearl was working at
Pearl Harbor. She was a retired
bank employee and was once named banker
of the year by Texas Commerce Bank
Shares Group.
 They
were life long residents of Odessa,
members of the Permian and Odessa
College Booster Clubs. Whether you knew
them as Dot and Mearl or Rip Van and Mrs
V, you knew you had true friends. They
cherished their friendships, their
family, their church family and hometown
of Odessa. They often said if they
could ever get back to Odessa, they
would never want to move again. On
February 1, 1991 they celebrated their
50th Wedding Anniversary, which marked
some very happy 50 plus years in Odessa.
Mearl passed on January 1, 1998.
Dorothy passed on July 23, 2006.
There is a quote from
the forward of JFK ’s
book on Profiles in Courage that
says..."stories of past courage can
teach, inspire and create understanding
but they can not give you courage...for
that you must look into your own
soul".....Well, they were both profiles
of courage. Portraits of honesty,
integrity, grace, dignity and
perseverance"
Permian's Principal Davis says it will
be left up to the senior Class of
2006-07 for a name for the wonderful
gift of the
Van Stavern
family.
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The
first ever virtual Permian High School
football museum honors a history known
the world over and has now opened to the
internet community. If you were a
part of the early days of PHS (60s, 70s,
or 80s), we would like for you to share
your greatest memory with us for
inclusion in the museum. This
includes the best game, road trips to
Ratliff East, burning the Angry Orange
candles in front of the Field House, the
countless splinters from W.T. Barrett
Stadium, or what it's like being a
graduate of Permian High School...
unless it's the Original,
all you have is imitation.