Terry Stanley

Terry Stanley passed away leaving behind a life marked by accomplishment, resilience, hard lessons, and enduring love for his family.

Terry was born August 14, 1946 in Breckenridge to the late Leon Harrison and Lois Jean (Knight) Stanley. He was a nationally respected construction and development executive with more than three decades of leadership experience delivering complex commercial, industrial, and real estate projects across the United States. Over the course of his career, he served as an Owner’s Representative, Senior Vice President, Development Manager, and Consultant, guiding projects from early due diligence and design through construction, close-out, and final turnover.

He held senior leadership roles with Harwood International in Dallas, The DeMoss Company in Fort Worth, and Point of View Development in San Diego, where he was responsible for the successful delivery of high-rise office and condominium towers, large-scale mixed-use developments, public and private institutional facilities, high-tech manufacturing plants, and federal government structures. His project portfolio included developments ranging from $300 million to over $1 billion, consistently delivered on schedule and within budget.

Terry was widely respected for his expertise in construction cost forecasting, estimating, contract negotiation, and conflict resolution. He had a rare ability to solve complex problems, bring people together, and move complicated projects forward. Through strategic design modifications, disciplined budget controls, and efficient construction methods, he helped save clients millions of dollars over the course of his career. He worked closely with lenders, architects, engineers, contractors, and public agencies to ensure projects were financially sound, properly planned, and successfully executed.

Later in his career, Terry founded The Texas Champion and Stanley Building Consultants, where he provided construction management and consulting services to private developers, municipalities, and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and major airport authorities. He also served as a trusted advisor on major infrastructure and development projects, including work associated with Denver International Airport.

Terry also played an important role in the early planning and development of Cresson Oaks RV Resort, where he provided guidance, construction knowledge, and mentorship during the early stages of the project. His experience and insight helped shape the foundation of what the project would become.

He held a background in Civil and Structural Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, and his career was defined by technical expertise, leadership, and a reputation for solving difficult problems and seeing projects through to completion.

But Terry’s life was more than his career. He was a father, a mentor, and a man who, like all of us, faced hardships, made mistakes, and carried regrets. In one of his final letters to his family, Terry wrote that his greatest regret in life was not any business decision or career move, but that he felt he had hurt his family and left without giving them the explanation and respect they deserved. In that letter, he asked his family for forgiveness and expressed how deeply he loved them.

He wrote:

“My true failure was abandoning each of you—my family—without explanation, without clarity, and without the respect you deserved. That is the wound that cuts the deepest in my heart. I am so sorry. I hurt you. I left you without a word when you deserved so much better from me. I ask—no, I beg—for your forgiveness. Nothing matters more to me now than healing what I damaged, and restoring the bond between us.” — Terry Stanley

Those who knew Terry knew that he was a man who carried both great strength and deep emotion. He believed in hard work, perseverance, and finding a way forward even when life became difficult. He was a man who helped build large projects, but more importantly, he helped build people — sharing his knowledge, giving guidance, and mentoring those who were trying to learn and grow.

Terry Stanley leaves behind a legacy not only in the buildings and projects he helped bring to life across the country, but in the people he mentored, the family he loved, and the lessons he taught about perseverance, humility, and the importance of family.

He will be remembered, he will be missed, and he will be loved always.

Survivors include: children, Michele, Zack, Christian, Forrest, and Marshall; siblings, Tracy Leon Stanley, Linda Lois Stanley Johnson, Peggy Eileen Stanley; grandchildren, Miriam, Josh, Nathaniel, Gabriel Allen, Chris Thang, Sammi, Sawyer, Sabastian, Mimi Stanley, Natalie, Blake, Jack Harwell; great grandchildren, Liam Jones and Elijah Allen.

He was preceded in death sibling, Micki Lynn Stanley.