“Almost every buyer or seller in town has either had her as a Realtor or come across her at open houses,” said Debbie Cushman, a Springfield Realtor and a past president of the Springfield Board of Realtors.
It’s believed Preston suffered a heart attack last Sunday during an open house, said Lula Cosby, a Realtor who worked with Preston at Link-Hellmuth Ltd.
“Theresa was one of the most down-to-earth, free-giving spirits I’ve ever known,” Cosby said. “She was always there for other people.”
Preston, according to Cosby, had been devastated by the recent loss of her husband, Jimmie Preston, who died Nov. 5 at age 81. Together, the Prestons owned and operated Preston’s Moving and Storage.
“He was like half of her,” Cosby said.
Theresa Preston was especially helpful in assisting other local Realtors navigate the difficulty of buying and selling bank-owned property, Cushman said, “even though it didn’t benefit her financially.”
Active in her church, Preston also spearheaded Link-Hellmuth’s United Way campaign, Cosby said.
Survivors include two daughters, three stepchildren and grandchildren.
“She is where she would like to be,” Cushman said, “with her beloved Jimmie.”
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday in the Conroy Funeral Home, with a funeral mass at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
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