Notice regarding Coronavirus...Read More

Plan Ahead

William Thomas Utter, Jr.

May 16, 1945 –
 July 16, 2022

Obituary

William Thomas Utter, Jr. passed away peacefully surrounded by family, July 16, 2022, in Dallas, TX. He was born in Asheville, NC, May 16, 1945, the only child of William Thomas and Crystal Sansbury Utter. Tom is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 57 years, Susan, his daughter and son-in-law Amy and Matthew Banks of Dallas, his granddaughter Kathryn Banks of Chicago, IL and his cousin Martha Derrick of Charleston, SC. He was preceded in death by his parents. Tom received a BA from Clemson University; studied and taught economics at Texas Tech University and Southwest Texas State University. Tom was Director of the Sinton, TX, Urban Renewal Agency when it received the first Community Development Block Grant awarded in the United States, February 5, 1975. In 1976, Tom joined the City of Corpus Christi, TX, to manage the City’s Housing and Community Development program. As Assistant City Manager, he concentrated on Housing and Community Development, grant programs, planning, intergovernmental relations, and economic development. During his career in Corpus Christi, he worked with eight city managers and six mayors. Tom retired as Assistant City Manager in Corpus Christi, January 31, 2002; then contracted to manage the City’s Legislative affairs, lobbying in Austin, retiring again, July 1, 2007. Tom served as President of the National Community Development Association (NCDA) in 1997-1998, and was a life member of its Board of Directors. A long-standing member of the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center Executive Board, he was an active, enthusiastic and generous supporter of ensuring its continuing success and impact. Tom loved tinkering with his 26 antique mantel clocks, cultivating his night-blooming cereus plants, scratching the chins of many different cats, and cheering on his Clemson Tigers.  He and Susan traveled throughout the US and Europe finding art glass to admire and purchase everywhere. Tom never met a stranger, never turned down an opportunity to visit a taqueria, and never stopped bragging to anyone and everyone about his granddaughter. A celebration of Tom’s life will be held at the Art Center Corpus Christi on August 6, 2022 at 5pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center (stxbot.org or 361-852-2100) or charity of your choice.

    John Longoria
    20 Jul 2022
    11:40am

    I had the privilege of working with Tom during my tenure ‘95-‘03 on the CC City Council. He was a good friend, mentor and no pushover. He could also lower a hammer on you if need be. Working with his guidance we developed several affordable housing projects and many other projects of community importance. Tom was a doer and could close a deal. He was a national expert on housing and community development. He could also shoot a mean game of pool. He solved many problems for this community and those who worked with him will be forever grateful for knowing him. I talked to Tom often long after I left the council often seeking direction on projects or just to catch up. He always made time for people. My condolences to his sweet wife Susan & daughter he loved who kept him grounded.

    Todd Hunter
    20 Jul 2022
    12:02pm

    Prayers to the entire family

    Armando Chapa
    20 Jul 2022
    12:22pm

    Susan…my deepest condolences to you and your family. I was saddened to hear of Tom’s passing. I enjoyed his friendship and our work relationship for many years. He will be missed. Armando

    Aurora Parlamas
    20 Jul 2022
    12:28pm

    Our deepest condolences to all of Tom’s family. May Tom be resting peacefully and eternally in God’s loving arms.

    Anthony & Aurora Parlamas & family

    Sharon Sedwick
    20 Jul 2022
    4:42pm

    Jim and I are so sad to hear this news. We think of you both often and miss you as neighbors..

    Mary Anne Wilkinson and Bill Samelson
    20 Jul 2022
    8:05pm

    I am saddened to have lost Tom. The three of us have shared many adventures together over the last 37 years: trips to New York; antique markets in New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut; great meals in all of the above places; many 4th of July trips and celebrations; and countless other memories. I have been thinking of those memories a lot in the last few days. Condolences to the family.

    Nelda Martinez
    20 Jul 2022
    11:14pm

    Susan, comforting love and prayers to you and the family dear one.
    Nelda

    John Buckner
    21 Jul 2022
    1:39pm

    May you rest in peace my friend.

    Chris Davis garcia
    24 Jul 2022
    1:22pm

    Susan, Amy, and family,
    I share your grief in the loss of our dear friend Tom. It was such a pleasure knowing him, and I even worked with him at City Hall And in Chamber of Commerce work. And of course anytime you were involved in the academic deacathlon, Tom was by your side doing some special assigned task.Tom made a difference in this world, and we all will miss him. Sending love and prayers during this sad time… Sincerely, Chris Davis Garcia (retired CCISD)

    Chris Davis garcia
    24 Jul 2022
    1:24pm

    Susan, Amy, and family,
    I share your grief in the loss of our dear friend Tom. It was such a pleasure knowing him, and I even worked with him at City Hall And in Chamber of Commerce work. And of course anytime you were involved in the academic decathlon, Tom was by your side doing some special assigned task.Tom made a difference in this world, and we all will miss him. Sending love and prayers during this sad time… Sincerely, Chris Davis Garcia (retired CCISD)

    Wesley Vardeman
    24 Jul 2022
    1:44pm

    I was shocked and saddened to hear about Tom’s passing. He was always busy working to make the next big deal in an effort to mprove a situation for who ever was in need. Tom always treated me with the upmost respect and in this day and time that’s saying something. May God bless you and your family during this difficult time and know that many life’s in this community were greatly improved by the efforts of our good friend Tom.

    larry wagner
    28 Jul 2022
    12:26pm

    Susan, deepest sympathies from Ann and I to you and your family. Tom was a great man and gave so much to the communities he worked in and improved the lives of those he dealt with. Tom was a Gardener , not just for the plants and trees he nurtured but for the many communities and people that have grown and prospered because of his work and commitment.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Testimonials

R. Driver
Read More
"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
Read More
"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
Read More
"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
Read More
"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
Read More
"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
Read More
"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
Read More
"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
Read More
"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
Previous
Next

Get In Touch

Locations

Immediate Attention

Contact Us

Preston Road

“George Bush at Preston”

Aria - Northwest Highway

“5 Miles East of Hillcrest Memorial Park / Lake Highlands”

Funeral Homes Irving Tx: Aria Cremation

“Belt Line Road at 183”

Fannin Memorial Gardens

Veterans Funeral Services

Darst Funeral Home

Search Obituaries

Search

Important Information

  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

    PRESTON ROAD
    214.306.6700

    NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
    214.340.8008

    BELTLINE ROAD
    972.607.4400

  2. Click here to Download the Cremation Forms.
  3. Have the cremation authorization form notarized
  4. Fax the forms back to us at:
    • NW Highway
      214-340-8009
    • Preston Rd.
      972-526-7410
    • Belt Line Rd.
      972-573-1008
 

Additional Information