Nancy Elizabeth Underwood

Nancy Elizabeth Underwood was born in Dallas and passed away in the early morning hours of March 26th 2015. Nancy was a trailblazer, a philanthropist, a businesswoman, and an amazing mom. She went to Emory University School of Law back when she was one of only two women in her law school class; she not only won the Giles Southerland Rich National Moot Court Competition, but she brought Emory Law School their first National Moot Court win. She graduated at the top of her class with her Jurisprudence Doctorate in 1977. In Atlanta, Nancy was the first woman to ever try a civil case in Fulton County (Atlanta), and she was feared. She loved litigating and never lost a case. She was also the top producer of billable hours at her firm. Throughout her entire life, she loved proving that “a girl” could do anything a man could do better, and she could do it looking elegant and fabulous in one of her signature suits. In a move that would be mirrored through the rest of her life, Nancy gave up the courtrooms she loved to move back to Dallas and begin a career that would give her more time to be a mom. Nancy embodied the true definition of an entrepreneur; not only did she start and run her own extremely successful commercial real estate development company, but Nancy could look at a map and pick out the most valuable property decades before it was on anyone else’s radar. Nancy was proud and honored to serve for more than ten years on The Board of Directors for Comstock Resources. Nancy was also a brilliant philanthropist and an incredibly generous and compassionate woman. She served for many years on the Dallas County Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, The Advisory Board of the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, and the SMU Dedman School of Law Executive Board, just to name a few. She raised millions of dollars for countless projects, often tackling the projects and community problems that everyone else considered a lost cause. Nancy’s zeal, compassion, and always inspiring speeches transformed problem projects into huge successes. In addition to being a formidable business woman and philanthropist, Nancy was first and foremost, the most incredible, loving, and dedicated mother to her two daughters who she loved with all of her heart, mind, and soul. Everything Nancy did and accomplished in life, she did for her girls. She was never too busy to talk, and whenever either of her girls faced an obstacle, Nancy always stepped in and pulverized it. Sufficient words do not exist to express the depth of her love and commitment to her girls.

Nancy was also a strong woman of God, and her faith was her cornerstone. She gave generously to countless ministries, and she never hesitated to share her faith with any and every one. Countless people will be greeting her in Heaven and thanking her for helping them find the faith that brought them to Jesus. Nancy was predeceased by her mother Nancy and her sister Norma (Twinkle) who are most assuredly holding her now in their arms. She is survived by her father George and her daughter Courtney; Nancy is also survived by her daughter Nancy Christine and her husband Mark and their three boys Clark, Adam, and Simon and countless loving family members and friends. We hold her close in our minds, hearts, and spirits. We rejoice that she is now in the arms of Jesus and that she will be enjoying Easter Sunday, her favorite holiday, in paradise. A memorial service in celebration of Nancy’s life will be held at 2:00pm on Wednesday April 1st at Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane Dallas, Texas 75205. In lieu of flowers, the family asks memorials to be made in Nancy’s honor to the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center 5351 Samuel Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75228. See more at: www.dcac.org.