Friends and former competitors remember the life of Don Dunham Jr, the real estate mogul who helped develop downtown Sioux Falls and beyond.
Dunham died suddenly Saturday after complications from surgery.
A friend and former colleague turned competitor, Craig Lloyd, CEO of Lloyd Companies remembers Dunham.
"We would exchange stories and tails of about getting through the 80's and also getting through the recession of 2008-09," Lloyd said.
Lloyd says their friendship began when they both started in the Sioux Falls real estate business back in the 70's.
"We competed hard, but when the deal was done whoever got the deal we would go and have a refreshment or two and either celebrate the victory of someone else or whatever, he was always there," Lloyd said.
Lloyd says Dunham was the first to build a major office building in the downtown area as a private developer.
"By him doing that allowed us to go ahead and do the things we do today downtown," Lloyd said.
Former Sioux Falls mayor and currently a public utilities commissioner for South Dakota Gary Hanson says Dunham changed the look of Sioux Falls forever.
"He shaped the skyline of Sioux Falls," Hanson said.
Hanson says Dunham was very passionate about what he did in life.
"He could get excited real quick, and of course that's great when you're on his side and it's discomforting when you're on the other side of the fence," Hanson said.
Lloyd says he has so many great memories with Dunham, but most of all he too would always like to be on his side.
"The big thing I always tell about Don is that if there was a war and you had to get into a fox hole I would always want to get into his fox hole because I know I would always get out of that fox hole and he would probably sell that fox hole to the enemy and make a profit on it, That's just how creative he was," Lloyd said.
As the city of Sioux Falls continues to expand, Don Dunham Jr's legacy will forever live on in the building blocks of Sioux Falls.
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