Ellen Coleman Terry, a decades-old leader in Dallas’ luxury real estate industry and a leading philanthropist, passed away on June 12 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The pioneering businesswoman from Paris, Texas, is remembered for her tenacity, positivity and community involvement.
Terry, also known as E.T., was born on June 11, 1939, and passed away the day after his 85th birthday.
Standing 4 feet 10 inches tall, Terry was known as a small but mighty presence in Dallas’ luxury real estate world, selling some of the most expensive homes in North Texas during her career that spanned more than 30 years.
“She was a powerful woman,” Robbie Briggs, founder of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, said in an email. Dallas Morning News. “She may have been petite in stature, but she was the biggest presence in my life. She was a true queen of Dallas real estate, not just for her sales prowess, but for her selflessness and willingness to inspire other agents to be their best.”
Terry began selling homes in Dallas in 1976. In 1981 she founded Ellen Terry Realtors, a boutique residential real estate firm in Dallas. In 1995 her firm was acquired by Ebby Halliday Realtors, a Texas residential real estate firm. Halliday and Terry were best friends, and the combination’s name was a combination of “best of the big” and “best of the boutique.”
“She and Ebby Halliday laid the foundation for professional, full-time Real Estate agents to run their real estate practices as their primary business,” Briggs said in an email.
Terry finished his career at Briggs Freeman, a luxury real estate brokerage in North Texas, where he joined as Executive Vice President in 2011 and retired in 2016 after nearly half a century in the Dallas real estate industry.
Ellen’s son, Todd Terry, who worked in real estate with his mother at Briggs Freeman, called his mother “Little Napoleon” because of her height and tenacity.
“She was a trendsetter,” Todd said, “She was a great mentor. She was an incredibly likeable person. And she was a great mother.”
Ellen didn’t begin her career until she was in her late 30s, turning to real estate out of a need to provide for her two children, Todd and Amy Terry Kriegel, as a single mother, and she and her husband were stay-at-home moms in Highland Park until they divorced in 1976. But that all changed when she found out the family was bankrupt and owed money to the IRS.
Amy remembers that as a child, her mother was hosting a Junior League game in the living room when the doorbell rang: Someone was coming to repossess her car. Not knowing that Ellen was behind on her payments, Amy said, “I’m not sure what to do.”
“My mother was left completely destitute,” Amy said.
Ellen moved into a studio apartment and her children lived with their grandparents until she could find a way to earn an income. Before her marriage, she was a physical education teacher, and after her divorce, her first job was as a travel agent. She moved into real estate, hoping to potentially earn more commissions to support her family.
When she started at Coldwell Banker, she didn’t even have a license yet, but she persuaded him by promising to pass the exam and even taking a $1,000 advance to cover living expenses, Amy said. Ellen’s first client was a former student who bought a home on Lakeside Drive for $400,000.
The rest is history: Ellen became a powerhouse in Dallas’ luxury real estate industry, selling more than $1 billion in residential property over the years, including selling what was then Dallas’ most expensive home at the time, a $22 million mansion on Park Lane in 2002.
“She was so fearless,” Amy says. “Women aren’t supposed to be so sassy and capable, especially a petite woman like her.”
Family and co-workers remember Ellen’s incredible work ethic, can-do attitude and positive attitude. Amy said her mother was a passionate believer in the motto, “Anything you can conceive and believe in, you can achieve it.” Todd remembers his mother’s mantra, “Everything is possible.”
“[She] “She revolutionized the boutique residential real estate industry… She was such an incredible leader,” Amy says, “not just as a businesswoman, she broke all sorts of glass ceilings, but as a person too.”
Ellen was also active in the community as a member of local leadership organizations such as the Dallas Assembly and the Dallas Civic Council. She received numerous honors, including the SMU Outstanding Alumna Award in 1985, the Texas Women’s Foundation Maura Award in 2004, and the Pi Beta Phi Carolyn Hellman Lichtenberg Crest Award in 2001 for service and achievement.
In the 80s, Ellen founded Awareness Hour, an alcohol and drug abuse awareness initiative, at Highland Park High School, and in the 90s, she created the Ellen Terry Realtors Ladies Golf Classic, an annual event that has raised more than $500,000 for Genesis Women’s Shelter, which supports women and children affected by domestic violence.
After Ellen was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016, about nine years before her death, the Terry family became involved with AWARE Dallas, an organization that aims to help people suffering from Alzheimer’s in North Texas.
“If my mother had had the ability to find a cure or at least raise awareness for her family, she would have fought just as hard,” Amy said.
Ellen is survived by her two children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Genesis Women’s Shelter or AWARE Dallas.
A funeral service will be held at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home on Sunday, June 23rd from 3:00pm to 5:00pm and a memorial service will be held at Highland Park United Methodist Church on Monday, June 24th from 3:00pm.
