Tom Fouts, an icon of Denton real estate, died Monday at a Dallas hospital after complications from a recent surgery. He was 84.

Fouts was a force in local real estate for decades through his business, Tom Fouts Commercial. In brokering large land deals, such as the one that brought Peterbilt Motors Co. to Denton, he was always mindful of how his work could improve the city, said Rob Rayner, Fouts’ son-in-law and longtime business partner.

Tom Fouts

“If someone used Tom Fouts, they knew they were going to get a very creative-thinking and dedicated real estate professional,” Rayner said. “He loved what he did. He loved the town he lived in, and not many people achieve that.”

Theron “Tom” J. Fouts Jr. was born March 3, 1926, in Denton to Leslie Sams Fouts and Theron J. Fouts, a former athletic director and football coach at what is now the University of North Texas. Living through the Great Depression taught him that he had to work hard to achieve anything, and he carried that philosophy throughout his life, Rayner said.

“He was very smart,” Rayner said. “He knew his business very well, and he strived to do the best he could.”

Fouts married Shirley Irene Prather in Mexia in 1946. They would spend the next 64 years together before her death in January at age 84.

A veteran of World War II, Fouts started his real estate work in Dallas in the early 1960s before launching his own residential real estate business in Denton later that decade, Rayner said. In 1983, the business shifted to mostly commercial and industrial real estate. Today, it includes divisions for commercial and industrial real estate, property management and oil and gas.

Fouts was active in the business until his retirement in June. Along the way, he served in local, state and national real estate associations, including a stint as president of what is now the Greater Denton/Wise County Association of Realtors Inc.

Dalton Allen, the association’s president, said Fouts was already an established name when he started in the business four decades ago.

“Tom is an icon here,” Allen said. “He has helped develop this city and supported the development of this city all his life. He will be sorely missed.”

Bill Colville, a longtime friend, said he used Fouts as a sounding board for all of his real estate deals and respected his common sense.

“I can truthfully say that of everything I have accomplished in Denton, 80 percent of it came through Tom Fouts’ office,” Colville said. “He always knew what was going on in town. He always had an interest in what was good for the town.”

He also had a rare knack for negotiation, Colville said.

“He never gave up on a deal,” he said. “Tom always thought there was a solution at the end of any problem, and he solved many, many problems for me and for the city and a lot of other people.”

The Foutses were longtime members of First Baptist Church in Denton. Jeff Williams, the senior pastor, described the couple as well-loved and active members. Tom Fouts was instrumental in helping the church buy 90 acres of land on Denton’s north side several years ago to provide space for an eventual relocation, Williams said.

“He was very outgoing and gregarious,” Williams said. “A very wise businessman.”

Fouts is survived by his daughters, Ann Norris and husband John of Tyler, Mary Luebcke and husband Warren of Denver, and Mardee Rayner and husband Rob of Denton; eight grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at DeBerry Funeral Directors. A funeral service will be at held at 11 a.m. Friday at First Baptist Church.

LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com .