They Came To Praise Trammell Crow

The largest crowd for a memorial service in the history of Highland Park United Methodist Church gathered today to honor real estate legend Trammell Crow, who died last week. Even Ross Perot Jr. had to stand along one wall. For all his vision and achievement, Harlan Crow told the crowd, his father “knew he was no better than the next guy.” Yet Jim Carreker recalled a New York meeting between Crow and a high-powered lender that was interrupted when a secretary announced a phone call for the Dallas developer. Irritated, the lender asked, “Who’s it from–the White House?” “Actually,” came the answer, “yes.” A little later, Air Force II swooped in to pick Crow up. “We won’t see his like again” is a big cliche, of course. But in Trammell Crow’s case, you got the feeling at the church today that it’s all too true.