Magda Chavez

Magda Odicio Chavez, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, and pastor’s widow took her final breath on the evening of May 6, 2024 surrounded by her beloved daughter and husband and closest sister Angelica as well as her trusted caregivers Sandra J. and Naikery L. Magda was born on February 21, 1940 in the beautiful volcanic town of Arequipa, Peru. She was the daughter of Angel Odicio and Fortunata Pizzaro Odicio and had 6 siblings. Magda came to know the Lord and the Seventh day Adventist message at the ripe young age of 15 years old. The Lord gave her a dream about the new SDA church in her town and then confirmed to her that it was where He wanted her to be in an unusual way. The first time she entered the church, they were playing the exact same hymn she had heard in a vivid dream that she had a couple days prior. Magda readily accepted the Bible truths and was baptized. She then went on to go to Union Incaica Adventist boarding school/College where she self supported her education through hard work in the kitchen (she loved to cook) as well as colporting in the summers. While there, she met and fell in love with her future husband, a theology student by the name of Juan Chavez. Magda and Juan shared a love of God and the gospel message. Magda graduated as a Bible worker and was a great fit for Juan as he graduated with a degree in theology and became a pastor. Together they had a dream of coming to the USA and dreamed of getting married in the U.S. as well. God granted them this desire and they married in 1960. Their first work together was in NJ, Juan as a pastor and Magda as a Bible worker. Years later, Magda also attended Andrews University for 2 years studying nutrition as Juan worked on his Master’s. There she perfected her love of vegetarian cooking. They labored together as a pastoral team in NJ in the following SDA churches: Hoboken, Elizabeth, Newark, Patterson, Passaic and Vineland. She also was a Spanish teacher at the local Adventist school in Waldwick, NJ. In 1968 and 1971, she became a devoted mother as they welcomed their son John and daughter Esther to the family. After about 12 years, they moved to New Orleans, LA where they continued their pastoral work together in the following churches and new church plants: New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Harvey and La Place. She worked as the Vice principal at the then Adventist Bilingual School as well as hosted a radio program in Spanish that taught biblical health and nutrition principles. The Lord then called them to Texas where they labored in Alice, Kingsville, Robstown, Corpus Christi, Del Rio, Eagle Pass and eventually to their last assignment of Houston, TX. Magda faithfully labored together with her pastor husband in the following churches: Bellaire, Love Spanish, Rosengberg Spanish and Central Spanish. Magda also cohosted a Spanish Bible TV program with her husband that aired on the local Telemundo channel and addressed topics on health and nutrition. In 2002, Magda laid her beloved husband, Pastor Juan Chavez to rest. Magda later lived in Keene, TX but in 2020 moved to TN to live with her daughter. She lived a full life there in her last 4 years with those she loved the most. It is there that she passed with her faith intact looking forward to the soon coming of Jesus and being resurrected. Magda’s greatest loves were God, her family, and spreading the gospel in whichever way she could. Magda was preceded in death by her beloved husband Pastor Juan Chavez, her daughter Mary Ruth, her sister Doris Arenas and brothers Reinaldo Odicio and Fausto Arenas. She is survived by daughter Esther Murray and her husband Mark Murray, her granddaughter Nicole Murray and her son John, her granddaughter Tiffany Chavez Tary and her husband Gerald Tary II, and her great grandson Gerald Tary III and her sister Angelica Odicio and her nephew Samuel Odicio and his wife Nilsy Odicio and her great nephews Giovanni and Julian and her late sister Doris Arenas’s son Rafael Ramirez and family and by and her brother Victor Odicio and family as well as her 100 yr old sister Estela Lozada and family. A service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 29, 2024 in the Chapel of Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home in Rosenberg followed by burial at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Rosenberg.

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Magda Chavez

February 21, 1940 - May 6, 2024