RIP Herb

Legendary founder of Dallas' Southwest Airlines Herb Kelleher dies

Herb Kelleher, 1931-2019.

Photo courtesy of SW Airlines

Herb Kelleher, the legendary founder of Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, died on January 3 at age 87.

The airline published a memorial to Kelleher on its website, calling him a freedom fighter, pioneer, maverick, and innovator who revolutionized the skies by blazing a trail of low fares and exemplary customer service.

It listed his countless achievements and awards, as well as the profound and elevating impact he had on his coworkers and as a leader of the company.

Born Herbert David Kelleher on March 12, 1931, he was raised in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, received a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan, and a law degree from New York University. He practiced law on the East Coast before relocating to Texas with plans to start his own law firm.

In 1967, Kelleher and client Rollin King incorporated Air Southwest, Inc., with the idea of offering low-fare, intra-Texas airline service. Southwest Airlines took to the skies on June 18, 1971.

He served as executive chairman of the company from 1978-2008, and as president-CEO from 1981-2001.

Kelleher's numerous awards and honors include the U. S. Chamber Business Leadership Hall of Fame, Chief Executive magazine; CEO of the Century from Texas Monthly; National Sales and Marketing Hall of Fame; a Wright Brothers Memorial; induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame; and recipient of the Department of Homeland Security Distinguished Public Service Medal.

"Herb has been quoted as saying, 'It is my practice to try to understand how valuable something is by trying to imagine myself without it,'" the memorial says. "We now have to imagine ourselves without Herb. Our Founding Father has passed on, but the legacy that he has left to each of us is still very much alive. Southwest will grieve as families do, but we know he’d want us to laugh through our tears."

Kelleher is survived by his wife, Joan, three of their four children, and many grandchildren.

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Dallas sees Texas' biggest one-year jump in cost of raising kids

Courtesy of SmartAsset/iStock

Raising a child in Dallas will cost parents over $23,000 this year.

Raising a child is not an easy or inexpensive feat, and a new study has determined Dallas parents are saddled with the second-highest costs for childrearing in Texas, with expenses jumping higher than any other metro statewide since 2025.

SmartAsset's latest report, "Cost of Raising a Child in Major U.S. Metros – 2026 Study," calculated year-over-year changes in the annual cost of raising a child (factoring in childcare, additional housing costs, food, transportation, medical costs and other necessities) in the 48 largest U.S. metro areas. MIT's Living Wage Calculator was used to compare the living costs of a household with two working adults and one child to that of a childless household with two working adults.

Childrearing costs in Dallas-Fort Worth have grown 4.5 percent since last year, totaling $23,340 for a family of three in 2026. That's over $1,000 more than what it took to raise a child in 2025, and it's $1,414 higher than what it took in 2024.

This is how SmartAsset broke down the cost for raising a child in Dallas:

Cost of childcare: $10,736
Cost of food: $1,826
Other expenses: $10,778

Though Dallas has the second-steepest costs for raising a child in Texas, the metro is actually much more affordable than most other places in the U.S.: DFW ranked 39th in SmartAsset's national list of cities with the highest childrearing costs in 2026, making it the 10th most affordable U.S. metro for raising a family.

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont in California topped the list with the highest childrearing costs in the U.S., at $43,171. The cost for raising a child in this California metro soared nearly 11 percent higher since last year.

Memphis, Tennessee ranked dead last as the most affordable U.S. metro for raising a child in 2026. Families will spend less than $20,000 to raise a child in Memphis, only 3.24 percent more than what was needed in 2025.

Raising a child in other Texas metros
It may come as no surprise that Austin is the most expensive place to raise a child in Texas, and it appeared as the 31st most expensive U.S. metro for families. Parents will spend nearly $25,000 to raise a child in the state's capital city, which is $703 higher than it was a year ago.

Meanwhile, San Antonio-New Braunfels is the most affordable metro in the Lone Star State for raising a family, and it's the third-most affordable place for raising a child nationwide. San Antonio parents will spend $21,393, or $448 more than last year, on their childrearing costs.

Houston also ranked among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a child, landing in 7th place nationally, with childrearing costs adding up to $22,605 in 2026. That's only $737 more than last year.

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a child in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Memphis, Tennessee ($19,922)
No. 2 – Nashville, Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee ($21,216)
No. 3 – San Antonio-New Braunfels ($21,393)
No. 4 – Birmingham, Alabama ($21,684)
No. 5 – Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, Virginia ($22,314)
No. 6 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia ($22,470)
No. 7 – Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands ($22,605)
No. 8 – Richmond, Virginia ($22,658)
No. 9 – Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky ($23,270)
No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ($23,340)

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