Avis Pendavis
Chantal Regnault
In 1979, Avis Pendavis co-founded the House of Pendavis with Kirk Pendavis, reigning as mother of the house.
Rayceen Pendarvis, one of her children, spoke on his late mother’s influence in 2019 saying, “Avis Pendavis was an amazing woman who spoke 10 different languages and had a wealth of knowledge and history. She was an amazing beam of light. I could go to her and talk to her about anything. And what she instilled in our community was the importance of education — so you can walk a ball, you can win, but can you get a job, can you get a diploma? What do you want to do with your life after the ball ends? She always pushed our community to be better, and people like that help fuel me.”
In her ballroom career, her grand prize wins were in categories like “Ethnic,” “Space Age Illusion,” and “Designer Delight Haute Couture Eveningwear.”
Avis Pendavis died in 1995. She was 51 years old.