Dallas Liquor Empire Builder Julius Coleman Dies at 102

From Humble Beginnings to Business Empire

Julius "Red" Coleman was born on November 10,1923, in Ferris, Texas and passed away peacefully at the age of 102 on February 13, 2026. The man who would become known as Dallas's "liquor giant" began his journey with the entrepreneurial spirit that would define his century-long life. He moved to Dallas with his family when he was 9 years old. Even as a youth, he demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit — delivering newspapers and selling sodas at sporting events.

At the age of 14 he met his future wife, Frances, and it was love at first sight. Shortly after their marriage in 1943, Julius joined the Army and served in England and France during WW II. This wartime service would prove to be just a brief interruption in what became one of Dallas's most remarkable business success stories.

Building the Red Coleman Empire

After returning from the Army, he and his wife Frances opened their first liquor store, Red Coleman's, on Forest Avenue in Dallas. This marked the beginning of what would grow to over 30 liquor and convenience store locations. Founded in 1946, Red Coleman's was a family owned business with over 30 retail Liquor stores, convenience stores and gas locations in the Dallas area, and employing over 200 people, before it was sold.

The timing proved fortuitous, as Coleman built his business empire during the post-World War II economic boom. They went into business and opened their first liquor store, Red Coleman's Liquors, near Fair Park. Frances made fresh flower football mums and sold them in the store. She and Julius were a team,and she worked as his bookkeeper helping him succeed. This partnership would last nearly eight decades, demonstrating that their business success was truly a family affair.

Industry Leadership and Community Impact

Red was a leader and innovator in the Texas and national liquor store industry, and honored with many distinctions and awards. He served as president of both the Texas and the National Package Store Associations. His influence extended far beyond retail, as he helped shape industry standards and practices that would benefit competitors and customers alike.

He was one of the original founders of Dallas Crime Stoppers. He was a former president of Congregation Shearith Israel. These civic contributions reveal a man who understood that business success comes with community responsibility. Among local retailers, Red Coleman sold out to Majestic (18 stores before the transaction) in 2005 (some say due to succession issues) which, in 2011, sold out to Centennial (27 stores before the transaction).

Legacy of an Era

Coleman's death marks the end of an era in Dallas retail history. His business model of combining liquor stores with convenience operations helped establish a template that many competitors would follow. He is predeceased by his loving wife of almost 80 years, Frances, his daughter, Janeen Kelminson, his sisters, Lee Margolis and Bess Cohen (Morris), sister-in- law and brother-in-law, Ruthie and Bernard Levy, his brother-in-law, Eugene Zale, and his son-in-law, Joey Lichtenstein.

The transformation of Dallas's liquor retail landscape that Coleman helped create continues today, with national chains now dominating markets that local family businesses like his once ruled. His story represents the classic American dream of an immigrant family's child building something lasting through hard work, innovation, and community engagement. For those who knew him, Coleman embodied the spirit of entrepreneurship that made Dallas a major business center in the post-war era.