Chanse Lane McLeod

Chanse Lane McLeod UPPER In the presence of many loving family members, Houston attorney Chanse Lane McLeod, age 59, ascended to Heaven to be with Our Lord God, Saturday, June 7th, after enduring and bravely fighting a persistent autoimmune illness. His parents were E. Douglas McLeod, Galveston lawyer and former Texas legislator, and the late Sarah "Sally" Helms of Dallas. Chanse, whose Texas pioneer family of renowned entrepreneurs were significantly involved in land development, ice cream production, and cotton factoring, spent his childhood and high school years in Galveston. He grew up in the century old, picturesque Cedar Lawn neighborhood with his three younger sisters, Alex, Lindsey, and Joanie and with many playmates including his Matthews and Moody cousins. Chanse loved the Texas Hill Country and, beginning at age seven, spent eight summers at Camp Stewart in Hunt, Texas, where he excelled in sports and leadership activities. He was a faithful Trinity Episcopal Church member and Trinity School student; and, thereafter, a 400-meter track standout and all-district linebacker in football at O'Connell Catholic High School where he was also valedictorian of his senior class. A forever dedicated UT student and alumnus, Chanse was a member and rush chairman of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity as well as Foreman (President) of the Texas Cowboys, and a BBA honor graduate in finance. After law school at the University of Houston Law Center where he was Associate Editor of Houston Law Review and a member of honors society Phi Delta Phi, he became an associate and partner at the international law firm, Andrews & Kurth. Among his many accolades, he was named Best Lawyer in Real Estate Law (The Best Lawyers in America, 2024) and profiled as one of the leading Real Estate (2017) lawyers in the United States (the U.S. Legal 500). Chanse actively practiced at Hunton Andrews Kurth in Houston until the very end. A dedicated and conscientious fourth generation lawyer, he had documents for his review delivered to the hospital daily while there until his death.

However, everyone who knew Chanse would concur his greatest life's work was as husband to his devoted wife Sara Overly and father to three exuberant children, Katherine, Chase and Pierce. Chanse was a modest and happy guy - a family man with a funny and wry sense of humor and a proud Texan. He was a big fan of Frank Sinatra, and he and his friends held a black-tie celebration of life for "Ol' Blue Eyes" at the Houston Club in 1998. As a charter member of the Knights of Momus and Maximilian krewes, he invariably had fun escorting his wife Sara to Galveston's Mardi Gras celebrations; and the many people who knew and loved Chanse will especially miss his hilarious one-liners. As hobbies, he enjoyed hunting and cooking for his friends and spending time at the Overly Family's Riverview Ranch in Marble Falls. When his children were growing up, he coached many of their sports including football, basketball, softball, and soccer, and he liked watching spectator sports, especially football and golf. Chanse was an avid Texas Longhorn fan, always had season tickets, and rarely if ever missed a UT football game. His Texas Exes affiliation meant the world to him, and he served for years as a director for the Texas Cowboys Alumni Association and Alumni President in 2007-2008. One of his Cowboys brothers described Chanse as "One of a kind who had an incredible mind and always made himself and his skillset available to the University and Texas Cowboys organization. Chanse was a patient and principled leader. His demeanor and calm approach leadership style added unparalleled value and insight to the student Cowboys and Alumni alike." His late grandfather, UT Cowboys alumnus V.W. "Boo" McLeod, would have been exceedingly proud of him and his many accomplishments and service to others. Hook 'em Horns, Baby Bro!

Chanse is survived by his wife, Sara Overly McLeod; their children, Sara Katherine, Charles Douglas, and Robert Pierce McLeod; his father E. Douglas "Doug" and wife Joan Williams McLeod, sisters Alexandra McLeod Blazevich, Lindsey McLeod McCrory, Joanie Douglas McLeod and stepsisters Meg Walker Janek and Libbie Walker Ansell; his beloved mother-in-law Elizabeth Trudeau "Trudy" Overly; his uncle John Michael Helms, and a great big family including many in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 18th at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, located at 1801 Sage Rd., Houston, Texas 77056.



In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Chanse McLeod's honor to The Texas Cowboys, c/o Texas Exes, P.O. Box 12368, Austin, Texas 78711.