There was a time when locals considered the Meadows building on Central Expressway to be the last landmark before the Red River. It was a time when a young man by the name of Ray Nasher from Boston was envisioning plans to build something called “an enclosed shopping center” with Sparkman Hillcrest cemetery on one side and the Caruth farm on another.
But before Ray had even arrived in Dallas, there was a local fella who’d returned to his hometown after serving in World War II and gone about building “a number of brick homes in the Park Cities and North Dallas.” When he learned about plans to develop Central Expressway, he saw it as an opportunity. Sure, he was married and raising a young family, but still he saw a great future that lay north of Dallas, where cow pastures and cotton fields were in place. But he wasn’t the only one to see the post-WW II growth heading north. A group of young “brainaics” were eyeballing some property in the area for a company.
So, the young man partnered up with fellow SMU alumnus Lindsay Embrey and bought a chunk of land west of the proposed expressway for development in the mid-1950s. There were those who claimed that his father told his son that he was crazy. After all, by 1952, Central Expressway only ran from downtown Dallas to Mockingbird. The expressway wouldn’t extend to present-day Campbell Center until 1956.
Despite the doubts of others, he stayed true to his vision that would become “Richardson Heights, which is a large part of the City of Richardson.”
The young man with the vision was George M. Underwood Jr.
Over the decades, George continued his commitment to grow North Texas, both professionally and personally. His numerous contributions ranged from supporting his alma mater SMU, after whom the SMU Law Library is named, to serving on the Dallas City Council during the turning point days of Dallas.
But his life was not without pain. Over his nine decades of life, he would suffer the losses of his wife Nancy Underwood and daughters Twinkle Underwood and Nancy Underwood.
This past Monday, the “young man with the vision” passed away at the age of 96. He is survived by his son, George Underwood III; his daughter Helena Sparling; 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Friday, May 13, at 2 p.m. at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.
Once again a member of the greatest generation has left us, but he has bequeathed a rich legacy for those who follow.