Jay E. Levy

Jay E. Levy, 73, passed peacefully with loved ones by his side,

Wednesday night, May 27 2026, at the Houston Hospice from a brief

illness.

Jay was born April 4 1953 in Port Arthur Texas, the middle of three

siblings, to Moselle Jacobs Levy and John (Johnny) Kutner Levy. Growing

up, he developed a fondness for boating, fishing, hunting, and

astronomy. As a young man, he earned Bachelor's degrees in Biology and

Physics, both from the University of Texas-Austin, and in Electrical

Engineering from Lamar University.

After college, he led a 40-year career in service as a software test

and verification engineer with multiple NASA contractors. In his work

with the Space Shuttle program, he earned NASA's prestigious Silver

Snoopy award, for coordinating the resolution of a software bug that

threatened STS-88, the first Shuttle mission to the International Space

Station.

He served his community in judging, coordinating judging, and managing

software for the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston for over 30

years.

Yet, it was his love for his family, friends, pets, and simple

pleasures that truly defined his spirit.

He was an excellent baker and made fabulous red velvet cakes, iron

skillet cheesecakes, and pumpkin pies. Other interests included family

dogs and cats and gardening.

Jay was predeceased by his loving parents Moselle and Johnny, his dear

maternal grandparents Hadassah Sadovsky Jacobs and Jay Jacobs (his

namesake), paternal grandparents May and Samuel Kutner Levy, aunts and

uncles, and godparents.

He is survived by his wife Peggy Kissinger Levy; younger sister Jan

Evelyn Levy Pope; older brother Dr. Joel Kutner and sister-in-law

Judith Frumin Levy; nephew Daniel Kutner Levy; niece Maureen Ellen Levy

Martinez, her husband, Dr. Jorel O. Martinez, and grandnephew, John

Levy Martinez; cousins Jeffrey Jay (Bonnie) Sherman, Bruce Alan

Sherman, Judi Sherman (Dr. Samuel) Schwartz, Amy Weiner (Edward)

Jacobson, and Dr. Howard (Esther, of blessed memory) Weiner.

A visitation will be held on June 1 2026, from 1:00 p.m. until

2:00 p.m. at Clayton-Thompson Funeral Directors, located at 5200 W.

Parkway, Groves, TX 77619. The funeral service will follow there

afterwards, and a graveside service will then follow at Greenlawn

Memorial Park in Groves. Rabbi Jon Nelson will officiate. In lieu of

flowers, please consider remembrance donations to the Science and

Engineering Fair of Houston, the Houston Astronomical Society, your

local humane society, or a charity of your choice.