Robbie Mayfield died on May 20 at the age of 78. Robert Terry “RT” Mayfield was known for his years of community service, lasting friendships and solid faith, as described in his obituary. Lakewood also knew him as a community visionary.

Born in Houston and raised mostly in Austin, Robbie graduated from McCallum High School and attended Texas Christian University. In his accomplished career he was home builder, general contractor and real estate developer, all under the name RT Mayfield Companies.

His work included more than Lakewood:  Creekside Square, Crossroads, Balcones Woods and Rockport Village in North Austin, Davenport Village, Cat Mountain Villas, The Courtyard, Westover Hills, Twin Mesa, Austin Woods, three shopping centers on Mesa Drive, and University Park Village center in Fort Worth. His community involvement also included building the structure that became the Travis County Exposition Center.

But one development was particularly special to him: Lakewood.

As longtime friend and Lakewood resident Chuck Taylor noted in a Facebook post, Robbie was extremely important to our corner of Austin. He met him in the late 1970s when Robbie was developing a new concept – a subdivision of garden homes, “which at the time had never been done before in ATX,” Chuck recalled.

“We walked the raw land, took tons of photos and developed unique strategies on how the marketing and advertising would be presented to the home builders of ATX as well as new home buyers,” Chuck said. “Robbie’s vision would turn out to be highly successful. He named the subdivision Lakewood.”

Robbie also named a few of our streets such as Wallace Drive for his father Wallace, not too far from Robbie Creek.

He is survived by his wife, Treeta DeZelle Mayfield; daughter, Amy Sturgeon and her husband, Steve; grandson, Gage Carter Sturgeon and many friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Bernell and Wallace Mayfield; his baby son, Robert Carter Mayfield and his sisters, Ginger Mayfield Milam and Cindy Mayfield.