David grew up in Telephone, Texas, and graduated from Honey Grove High School where he played basketball and football. He graduated from East Texas State University where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Being a loyal patriot, he proudly served in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserves for 8 years. It was during his military service that he sustained severe physical injuries that plagued him the rest of his life, especially the last 5 years.
David came to Dallas in 1963 with fifty dollars, his clothes, and a dream. Before entering the real estate industry, he worked as a field manager with Ford Motor Company. In 1977, after working several years as a real estate broker, he founded David Little Real Estate, Inc. He led one of North Texas’ most notable commercial real estate companies and was responsible for handling many of the area’s most significant real estate transactions over the last 50-plus years.
Baillargeon Family Dealerships, Ben E. Keith Company, Centex Corporation, Del Frisco’s Restaurants, Dickey’s Barbecue Pits, Eagle Materials, Inc., Hillwood Development, Hines Interest, Jarrell Distributors, Inc., Messina Properties ( Il Sorrento Restaurant), and III Forks Restaurants are among the many companies that entrusted David and his top-tier team with their commercial real estate needs. He was highly regarded by business, investment and real estate professionals alike, and his vast commercial real estate knowledge earned him a well-deserved reputation as a man of character, honor, and integrity. Operating with a hands-on approach, he was directly and personally involved in all real estate transactions. However, he believed in doing more than just facilitating these transactions. He was tenacious in his commitment to building strong personal relationships and fulfilling the commercial and industrial real estate needs of buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants with a singular focus - sell to sell again!
His accomplishments and achievements included being a founding member of the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and Real Estate Professionals (NTCAR); recipient of the prestigious Stemmons Service Award (1982), President, Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), North Texas Chapter (2005); NTCAR Life Time Achievement Award (2008); Chairman, Dallas Area Economic Development Association; Director, State Fair of Texas, and a lifetime member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.
In his spare time he enjoyed fishing, hunting, playing guitar, and traveling. Participating in fishing tournaments at Burt (Reynolds) and Jacks in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, produced life-long friends as did his membership in Ferndale Club where he spent many weekends fishing and rocking on the porch with a drink in hand at the end of the day. Fishing for salmon in the streams in Alaska with Norma was the highlight of his fishing excursions. Bear hunting in Idaho, pheasant hunting in Indiana, along with dove and turkey hunting with other real estate brokers at the Trout Ranch in Gordon, Texas, afforded for more memorable outdoor moments. Big game hunting found David on safari in Africa in 1975 where he killed a world record lion and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. As a guitar enthusiast, he played and studied for over 50 years. Jokingly, he would say he was going to be the “lead-in performer” for the next Eric Clapton or Rolling Stones tour. Traveling with Norma to Carmel-by-the-Sea and Big Sur, California, was a yearly trip where life-long friends were made. Relaxing on the beach, sharing a bottle of wine, and watching the sunset was a nightly ritual, where they reminisced about the places they had been, the people they loved, and the memories they had made and thanking God for another beautiful day before heading to Mission Ranch for dancing, dining, and singing.
David had an innate and unique gift for making conversation with people. He made them feel comfortable to converse, and usually discovered that they had a mutual connection. Thus, friends were made; relationships formed.
Left to mourn his loss yet cherish their life together is his wife, Norma; daughter Catherine Smith and her husband Patrick; grandchildren, Charlotte and Gunnar; and fur baby, Schatzi.
Heartfelt appreciation and gratitude is extended to David’s devoted and kind caregivers (Frida, Linda, and Pouline); Dr. Andrew Chung and his assistant, Roxanne, and the staff at Vitas Health Care who saw him through this long, arduous journey.
