Saturday, April 20, 2024
A GENTLE MAN: Former longtime mayor David Southern, soft-spoken and genial, kept his cool when others sometimes did not.
Former Granbury mayor David Southern, who led the city through projects that enhanced quality of life for local residents and increased the city’s appeal as a tourist destination, died Tuesday following a months-long illness.
He was 72.
A celebration of Southern’s life will take place at 6 p.m. Monday at the Lake Granbury Conference Center, 621 E. Pearl St, followed by a wake for family and friends.
According to Wiley Funeral Home staff, Southern’s family was planning a private burial but details were not known at the time this article was posted.
Southern was reportedly the longest-serving elected leader in Granbury’s history.
He began his career in local politics by serving on the City Council from May 1985 to May 1987. After a break of one year, he served again from May 1988 to May 1995, when he was elected mayor. He was mayor until May 2010.
During his time in city government, terms for council members changed from two years to three. In all, Southern served five terms on the City Council and six consecutive terms as mayor.
As word of his death spread, many expressed their sorrow on social media.
A post on the Facebook page of David Youker of The Pirate Sports Network called Southern “a true pioneer.”
“David was instrumental in bringing so many amazing improvements to Granbury,” the post stated.
Southern felt that Granbury was destined to grow and thrive and it did so under his leadership.
A man who remained calm when others sometimes didn’t, he advocated for development regulations that, while sometimes controversial, were designed to enhance the city’s beauty and give it a cohesive appearance.
During his time as a city leader, Granbury City Hall and the Lake Granbury Conference Center were built. Because of him, the Hilton Garden Inn was constructed next to the conference center as a partnership intended to enhance the LGCC’s marketability and local tourism.
Southern’s vision for what Granbury could be led to the creation of the Moments in Time Hike & Bike Trail and City Beach Park, where white sand was trucked in to enhance the beach experience and a boardwalk protects swimmers from watercraft while giving conference center guests a scenic walk to shops and restaurants on the square.
Southern pursued expansion of the Granbury Regional Airport years before a City Council on which he no longer served brought that dream to fruition with help from grant funds from the Texas Department of Transportation’s Aviation Division.
A ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the new, longer runway at an airport that can now accommodate business jets took place just weeks before his death.
A native of the Panhandle town of Borger, Southern’s father was a preacher and his mother was a teacher, bookkeeper and real estate agent.
He attended Abilene Christian University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in 1972 and a master’s in psychology in 1974.
Southern and his wife Claudia moved to Granbury 42 years ago. They celebrated their 47th anniversary in June.
They raised their children in Granbury — a son, Jack, and a daughter, Alison.
While in his thirties and president of a company based in Cleburne, Southern was involved in a groundbreaking U.S. Supreme Court case that knocked down zoning ordinances that discriminated against those with disabilities.
LIFE OF SERVICE
In an interview earlier this year, Southern told the Hood County News that one of his proudest achievements as mayor was getting a non-smoking ordinance passed.
“The reason for my pride in that ordinance is that studies show that in cities with strong non-smoking ordinances, 40 percent fewer kids start smoking,” he said.
After leaving the mayor’s job, Southern refocused on his role at Southern Concepts, Inc., a counseling center run by Claudia.
The couple sold the company in 2016 and retired, though they kept ownership of a Chicken Express franchise near Austin.
Southern volunteered on various nonprofit boards. He served as president of the Northwest Central Texas Housing Finance Corporation and was first vice president of the Texas Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies. Both organizations promote affordable housing.
He also served on the board of Veterans Freedom Retreats, which helps veterans and their spouses cope with posttraumatic stress disorder.
Southern served for a decade as chair of the Granbury Cemetery Board and spent a couple of years on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. At the time of his death, he was vice-chair of the Granbury Cultural Arts Commission.
A member of the Lake Granbury Kiwanis Club, Southern’s passing prompted an email to other Kiwanians from Doc Adams, Lt. Governor for Division 1.
“He was a soft-spoken man, but there was power in his conversation,” Adams wrote. “He had a great sense of humor. He had a depth in his wisdom. He had sacrificial love for his family, for Kiwanis and for the great city of Granbury.”
In addition to his wife and two grown children, Southern leaves behind two grandsons and one granddaughter.
