RANDALL EDWARD PRESLEY, 93, the first developer in Ahwatukee Foothills, passed away of complications arising from pneumonia in Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California, on April 12, 2012. Presley will be remembered as a smart and wise developer and a really fine gentleman.
He is survived by his wife Cecilia DeMille Presley and two sons: Randall Presley of Northern California, Terry Presley of Newport Beach, and one daughter: Pamela Presley of Bakersfield. He was the son of Mary Benton Presley and Blanche Cromwell Presley.
Born in Pensacola, Fla., in 1919, Presley served as a pilot and bombardier in World War II.
He began his homebuilding career in Bakersfield after the war as real estate broker and subdivider. In 1951, he sold his real estate business and moved into residential construction, followed in 1956 by the founding of Presley Development Company, which later became known as the Presley Cos.
Presley said that he he saw a need for low- to-medium priced quality homes.
In 1963, the company moved its headquarters from Bakersfield to Orange County, where in June 1969, Presley Development Company became publicly owned.
Over the years, Presley Development built more than 160 residential communities. At one time it was the ninth largest homebuilder in the United States, with operations in Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona and both Northern and Southern California.
In addition, Presley was a major developer locally, building hundreds of homes in and around Orange County, with headquarters in Irvine and Newport Beach. In 1987, homebuilder William Lyon paid $325 million to acquire Newport Beach-based Presley Development Co. and three other real estate companies from Pacific Lighting Corp. Lyon became the chairman of Presley.
In 1991, Lyon took Presley Cos. public, raising $9.2 million in stock sales. In 1999, Lyon got the green light to merge Lyon Homes and Presley Development, forming the Presley Cos.
Presley was a long time member and director of the Building Industry Association and was co-founder and chairman of the Committee for Monetary Reform, an organization seeking reforms of the Federal Reserve. Presley also was active in several charities, including the Orange County Council of Boy Scouts of America, City of Hope and the Construction Industries Alliance.
Presley was the founder of Presley Development Co. in 1956, which later merged with William Lyon Homes. It was Presley who first envisioned a community in Ahwatukee Foothills.
“Randall Presley was one of the great developers of our time, and of the many places in which he chose to invest, we were lucky that Ahwatukee was one of them,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton in a statement. “I represented Ahwatukee as a city councilman and now as mayor. Ahwatukee always has been a special place in Phoenix, and as it continued to grow and develop thanks to Mr. Presley, it became one of the strongest neighborhoods of civic engagement in our city. I’m grateful for that.”
Presley’s decision to build in Ahwatukee was unheard of at the time but his wife of 52 years, Cecilia, says she never questioned his thinking.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Cecilia said. “I never questioned for one moment anything he did in the building industry. He had a sixth sense about where to go and what to build.”
Presley’s sixth sense paid off in Ahwatukee. According to “America’s Images of Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills” by resident Marty Gibson, Presley recognized the beauty of the mountains and the possibility for easy freeway access. Even though the land was considered a no man’s land by local farmers Presley acquired it in 1970 and opened 17 model homes in Ahwatukee in 1973.
“He had the vision to take Ahwatukee from a desert outland to a great community,” said Clay Schad, founder of the Ahwatukee Foothills News. “He was definitely a visionary man.”
Presley Development Co. paved the way for other master-planned communities to move to the Foothills. It wasn’t his only development in Arizona, but it was his largest.
Ahwatukee resident Pete Meier was an employee of Presley’s in the ’70s. He says he can remember when Presley would conduct his monthly visits from Newport Beach, Calif., to check on his developments. Streets were always swept and the employees always did their best to make everything look sharp, Meier said.
“I can’t say anything bad about him,” Meier continued. “If he was mad at you or you did something wrong or didn’t do it on time the worst words he would use were, ‘I’m very disappointed in you.’ He wasn’t one to rant or rave or anything like that. He was an excellent person to work for. He was a fine gentleman of the old school.”
“My prayers go to his family,” said Ahwatukee resident and City Councilman Sal DiCiccio. “He created Ahwatukee. We’re living the dream because of it.”
He is survived by his wife Cecilia DeMille Presley and two sons: Randall Presley of Northern California, Terry Presley of Newport Beach, and one daughter: Pamela Presley of Bakersfield. He was the son of Mary Benton Presley and Blanche Cromwell Presley.
Born in Pensacola, Fla., in 1919, Presley served as a pilot and bombardier in World War II.
He began his homebuilding career in Bakersfield after the war as real estate broker and subdivider. In 1951, he sold his real estate business and moved into residential construction, followed in 1956 by the founding of Presley Development Company, which later became known as the Presley Cos.
Presley said that he he saw a need for low- to-medium priced quality homes.
In 1963, the company moved its headquarters from Bakersfield to Orange County, where in June 1969, Presley Development Company became publicly owned.
Over the years, Presley Development built more than 160 residential communities. At one time it was the ninth largest homebuilder in the United States, with operations in Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona and both Northern and Southern California.
In addition, Presley was a major developer locally, building hundreds of homes in and around Orange County, with headquarters in Irvine and Newport Beach. In 1987, homebuilder William Lyon paid $325 million to acquire Newport Beach-based Presley Development Co. and three other real estate companies from Pacific Lighting Corp. Lyon became the chairman of Presley.
In 1991, Lyon took Presley Cos. public, raising $9.2 million in stock sales. In 1999, Lyon got the green light to merge Lyon Homes and Presley Development, forming the Presley Cos.
Presley was a long time member and director of the Building Industry Association and was co-founder and chairman of the Committee for Monetary Reform, an organization seeking reforms of the Federal Reserve. Presley also was active in several charities, including the Orange County Council of Boy Scouts of America, City of Hope and the Construction Industries Alliance.
Presley was the founder of Presley Development Co. in 1956, which later merged with William Lyon Homes. It was Presley who first envisioned a community in Ahwatukee Foothills.
“Randall Presley was one of the great developers of our time, and of the many places in which he chose to invest, we were lucky that Ahwatukee was one of them,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton in a statement. “I represented Ahwatukee as a city councilman and now as mayor. Ahwatukee always has been a special place in Phoenix, and as it continued to grow and develop thanks to Mr. Presley, it became one of the strongest neighborhoods of civic engagement in our city. I’m grateful for that.”
Presley’s decision to build in Ahwatukee was unheard of at the time but his wife of 52 years, Cecilia, says she never questioned his thinking.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Cecilia said. “I never questioned for one moment anything he did in the building industry. He had a sixth sense about where to go and what to build.”
Presley’s sixth sense paid off in Ahwatukee. According to “America’s Images of Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills” by resident Marty Gibson, Presley recognized the beauty of the mountains and the possibility for easy freeway access. Even though the land was considered a no man’s land by local farmers Presley acquired it in 1970 and opened 17 model homes in Ahwatukee in 1973.
“He had the vision to take Ahwatukee from a desert outland to a great community,” said Clay Schad, founder of the Ahwatukee Foothills News. “He was definitely a visionary man.”
Presley Development Co. paved the way for other master-planned communities to move to the Foothills. It wasn’t his only development in Arizona, but it was his largest.
Ahwatukee resident Pete Meier was an employee of Presley’s in the ’70s. He says he can remember when Presley would conduct his monthly visits from Newport Beach, Calif., to check on his developments. Streets were always swept and the employees always did their best to make everything look sharp, Meier said.
“I can’t say anything bad about him,” Meier continued. “If he was mad at you or you did something wrong or didn’t do it on time the worst words he would use were, ‘I’m very disappointed in you.’ He wasn’t one to rant or rave or anything like that. He was an excellent person to work for. He was a fine gentleman of the old school.”
“My prayers go to his family,” said Ahwatukee resident and City Councilman Sal DiCiccio. “He created Ahwatukee. We’re living the dream because of it.”
RANDALL EDWARD PRESLEY, 93, the first developer in Ahwatukee Foothills, passed away of complications arising from pneumonia in Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California, on April 12, 2012. Presley will be remembered as a smart and wise developer and a really fine gentleman.
He is survived by his wife Cecilia DeMille Presley and two sons: Randall Presley of Northern California, Terry Presley of Newport Beach, and one daughter: Pamela Presley of Bakersfield. He was the son of Mary Benton Presley and Blanche Cromwell Presley.
Born in Pensacola, Fla., in 1919, Presley served as a pilot and bombardier in World War II.
He began his homebuilding career in Bakersfield after the war as real estate broker and subdivider. In 1951, he sold his real estate business and moved into residential construction, followed in 1956 by the founding of Presley Development Company, which later became known as the Presley Cos.
Presley said that he he saw a need for low- to-medium priced quality homes.
In 1963, the company moved its headquarters from Bakersfield to Orange County, where in June 1969, Presley Development Company became publicly owned.
Over the years, Presley Development built more than 160 residential communities. At one time it was the ninth largest homebuilder in the United States, with operations in Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona and both Northern and Southern California.
In addition, Presley was a major developer locally, building hundreds of homes in and around Orange County, with headquarters in Irvine and Newport Beach. In 1987, homebuilder William Lyon paid $325 million to acquire Newport Beach-based Presley Development Co. and three other real estate companies from Pacific Lighting Corp. Lyon became the chairman of Presley.
In 1991, Lyon took Presley Cos. public, raising $9.2 million in stock sales. In 1999, Lyon got the green light to merge Lyon Homes and Presley Development, forming the Presley Cos.
Presley was a long time member and director of the Building Industry Association and was co-founder and chairman of the Committee for Monetary Reform, an organization seeking reforms of the Federal Reserve. Presley also was active in several charities, including the Orange County Council of Boy Scouts of America, City of Hope and the Construction Industries Alliance.
Presley was the founder of Presley Development Co. in 1956, which later merged with William Lyon Homes. It was Presley who first envisioned a community in Ahwatukee Foothills.
“Randall Presley was one of the great developers of our time, and of the many places in which he chose to invest, we were lucky that Ahwatukee was one of them,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton in a statement. “I represented Ahwatukee as a city councilman and now as mayor. Ahwatukee always has been a special place in Phoenix, and as it continued to grow and develop thanks to Mr. Presley, it became one of the strongest neighborhoods of civic engagement in our city. I’m grateful for that.”
Presley’s decision to build in Ahwatukee was unheard of at the time but his wife of 52 years, Cecilia, says she never questioned his thinking.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Cecilia said. “I never questioned for one moment anything he did in the building industry. He had a sixth sense about where to go and what to build.”
Presley’s sixth sense paid off in Ahwatukee. According to “America’s Images of Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills” by resident Marty Gibson, Presley recognized the beauty of the mountains and the possibility for easy freeway access. Even though the land was considered a no man’s land by local farmers Presley acquired it in 1970 and opened 17 model homes in Ahwatukee in 1973.
“He had the vision to take Ahwatukee from a desert outland to a great community,” said Clay Schad, founder of the Ahwatukee Foothills News. “He was definitely a visionary man.”
Presley Development Co. paved the way for other master-planned communities to move to the Foothills. It wasn’t his only development in Arizona, but it was his largest.
Ahwatukee resident Pete Meier was an employee of Presley’s in the ’70s. He says he can remember when Presley would conduct his monthly visits from Newport Beach, Calif., to check on his developments. Streets were always swept and the employees always did their best to make everything look sharp, Meier said.
“I can’t say anything bad about him,” Meier continued. “If he was mad at you or you did something wrong or didn’t do it on time the worst words he would use were, ‘I’m very disappointed in you.’ He wasn’t one to rant or rave or anything like that. He was an excellent person to work for. He was a fine gentleman of the old school.”
“My prayers go to his family,” said Ahwatukee resident and City Councilman Sal DiCiccio. “He created Ahwatukee. We’re living the dream because of it.”
He is survived by his wife Cecilia DeMille Presley and two sons: Randall Presley of Northern California, Terry Presley of Newport Beach, and one daughter: Pamela Presley of Bakersfield. He was the son of Mary Benton Presley and Blanche Cromwell Presley.
Born in Pensacola, Fla., in 1919, Presley served as a pilot and bombardier in World War II.
He began his homebuilding career in Bakersfield after the war as real estate broker and subdivider. In 1951, he sold his real estate business and moved into residential construction, followed in 1956 by the founding of Presley Development Company, which later became known as the Presley Cos.
Presley said that he he saw a need for low- to-medium priced quality homes.
In 1963, the company moved its headquarters from Bakersfield to Orange County, where in June 1969, Presley Development Company became publicly owned.
Over the years, Presley Development built more than 160 residential communities. At one time it was the ninth largest homebuilder in the United States, with operations in Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona and both Northern and Southern California.
In addition, Presley was a major developer locally, building hundreds of homes in and around Orange County, with headquarters in Irvine and Newport Beach. In 1987, homebuilder William Lyon paid $325 million to acquire Newport Beach-based Presley Development Co. and three other real estate companies from Pacific Lighting Corp. Lyon became the chairman of Presley.
In 1991, Lyon took Presley Cos. public, raising $9.2 million in stock sales. In 1999, Lyon got the green light to merge Lyon Homes and Presley Development, forming the Presley Cos.
Presley was a long time member and director of the Building Industry Association and was co-founder and chairman of the Committee for Monetary Reform, an organization seeking reforms of the Federal Reserve. Presley also was active in several charities, including the Orange County Council of Boy Scouts of America, City of Hope and the Construction Industries Alliance.
Presley was the founder of Presley Development Co. in 1956, which later merged with William Lyon Homes. It was Presley who first envisioned a community in Ahwatukee Foothills.
“Randall Presley was one of the great developers of our time, and of the many places in which he chose to invest, we were lucky that Ahwatukee was one of them,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton in a statement. “I represented Ahwatukee as a city councilman and now as mayor. Ahwatukee always has been a special place in Phoenix, and as it continued to grow and develop thanks to Mr. Presley, it became one of the strongest neighborhoods of civic engagement in our city. I’m grateful for that.”
Presley’s decision to build in Ahwatukee was unheard of at the time but his wife of 52 years, Cecilia, says she never questioned his thinking.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Cecilia said. “I never questioned for one moment anything he did in the building industry. He had a sixth sense about where to go and what to build.”
Presley’s sixth sense paid off in Ahwatukee. According to “America’s Images of Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills” by resident Marty Gibson, Presley recognized the beauty of the mountains and the possibility for easy freeway access. Even though the land was considered a no man’s land by local farmers Presley acquired it in 1970 and opened 17 model homes in Ahwatukee in 1973.
“He had the vision to take Ahwatukee from a desert outland to a great community,” said Clay Schad, founder of the Ahwatukee Foothills News. “He was definitely a visionary man.”
Presley Development Co. paved the way for other master-planned communities to move to the Foothills. It wasn’t his only development in Arizona, but it was his largest.
Ahwatukee resident Pete Meier was an employee of Presley’s in the ’70s. He says he can remember when Presley would conduct his monthly visits from Newport Beach, Calif., to check on his developments. Streets were always swept and the employees always did their best to make everything look sharp, Meier said.
“I can’t say anything bad about him,” Meier continued. “If he was mad at you or you did something wrong or didn’t do it on time the worst words he would use were, ‘I’m very disappointed in you.’ He wasn’t one to rant or rave or anything like that. He was an excellent person to work for. He was a fine gentleman of the old school.”
“My prayers go to his family,” said Ahwatukee resident and City Councilman Sal DiCiccio. “He created Ahwatukee. We’re living the dream because of it.”
