George M. Underwood, Jr.

George M. Underwood, Jr., born January 14, 1920, passed away in Dallas, TX on May 9, 2016. Mr. Underwood was the son of the late Dr. and Mrs. George M. Underwood, Sr. of Dallas, and was a lifetime resident of Dallas and the Park Cities. He attended the Highland Park Schools and SMU. Following graduation, he served as an officer in the Army during WWII. In 1945, he married Nancy Lou Chambers of Jackson, Miss., who preceded him in death in 1983. Following the war, Mr. Underwood built a number of brick homes in the Park Cities and North Dallas. With the coming of Central Expressway, he purchased land on the west side of the expressway and with a partner, Lindsay Embrey, developed Richardson Heights which is a large part of the City of Richardson. With the completion of Richardson Heights, Mr. Underwood was joined by his son, George M. Underwood, III, in the development of the Rosemeade area of Carrollton and several areas of North Dallas. In 1965 he organized and was the only chairman of the Richardson Bank and Trust. In 1982 Mr. and Mrs. Underwood purchased the Riverhill Country Club in Kerrville, Texas and adjoining real estate development which they expanded and completed under the direction of Wanda Kemp-Maxon, Golf Pro Ross Collins, and Byron Nelson. Mr. Underwood served on both the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees of SMU for eighteen years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Underwood were lifelong supporters of SMU and they were the major donors of the SMU Law Library which bears their name. Mr. Underwood served on the first Dallas/Ft. Worth Regional Airport Board. He was Chairman of the Construction Committee which planned and built the airport from 1968-1972. After the DFW Airport was completed Mr. Underwood was appointed to the Texas Aeronautics Commission by Governor Clements where he was elected Chairman. He served as a member of the Dallas City Plan Commission from 1959-1961 and was elected to two terms on the Dallas City Council from 1961-1965. He served on the Board of the Dallas Assembly, the Greater Dallas Planning Council, the Southwest Medical Foundation, and the Hockaday School Board of Trustees. Mr. Underwood was a past president of the Dallas Home and Apartment Builders Association, the SMU Alumni Association, and the SMU Dad’s Club. Mr. Underwood was an avid golfer and fisherman and played on both the Highland Park High School and SMU golf teams. He was honored by his family in October 2011 for his standing record as the longest active golf player in the history of Dallas Country Club, playing for 78 years. In 1960 he received the Home Builders’ Prather Award for community service, in 1973 he received the SMU Distinguished Alumnus Award, and in 2005 the Highland Park High School Distinguished Alumni Award. He was an active member of the Highland Park Presbyterian Church. Mr. Underwood is preceded in death by his daughter Norma “Twinkle” Underwood and his daughter, Nancy Elizabeth Underwood. He is survived by a son, George M. Underwood, III, and a daughter, Helena Sparling. He had thirteen grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 o’clock at Highland Park Presbyterian Church on Friday, May 13th after a private burial at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Memorials, if desired, may be made to the Dean Charles Galvin Rare Book Fund at the Southern Methodist University Underwood Law Library, P.O. Box 750116, Dallas TX 75275, or the Highland Park Presbyterian Church.