William R. Underwood's Obituary
William R. Underwood was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 23, 1936 to William Kenneth and Lillian Baird Underwood. He died from a chronic blood disorder at Baylor-Garland on December 8, 2014. The death was unexpected to his friends and family. Rick’s heart always remained in Canada where his family lived on the family farm outside of Calgary in Priddis. He made many trips back and would always go to the farm to look at the land and the Rocky Mountains in the distance. One of his favorite stories was about when he came to the United States as a teenager and went to work at a saw mill in Boise, Idaho. He wasn’t aware that he needed a green card or a social security card to legally work here in the United States. When he found out, he applied for papers and he was deported to Canada. His car, a flashy, used Cadillac, was confiscated at the border. He always said he began his life in the U.S. as an illegal alien. To get his US Citizenship he agreed to serve in the US Air Force for three years and so began his life in the United States. He always wanted to be a pilot but his eyesight prevented him from being a military pilot. When he entered the Civil Air Patrol to finish his reserve duty he became a licensed pilot. He then flew charter flights and had part ownership in an airplane. Flying was by no means his only talent. He was a very low handicapped golfer and, up until recent years when arthritis prevented him from playing his top game, he played three times a week and had one hole in one. He had a love for guns but loved animals too much to become a hunter. He saw the beauty and fine workmanship in the guns which was aligned with another talent of his. He was very good at manufacturing engineering figuring out the cost, manufacture, and installation of products and he was most satisfied when he could work a product from beginning to end. He used these skills during the thirty-six years he worked for Raytheon and its predecessor companies which began at Continental Electronics. Most of his friends were the ones he met at these companies. Rick was an avid football fan of the University of Texas and become more so after his daughter graduated from the University. They had attended football games together through good seasons, bad seasons, knee replacements and pregnancies. It was their special time together and Rick always looked forward to it. He is survived by his wife Sarah. Their fortieth wedding anniversary would have been on April 2, 2015. He is survived by his daughter, Jean Underwood, her husband Joe Zipper, and their two children Keigan and Braydon. He is survived by his stepdaughter, Julie Kjer, her husband Duane, and her two children Lucas Ivey, Daniel Ivey, his wife Desi and their daughter, Harley; his stepson Eric Barker, his wife, Amy and their two sons Clayton and Carson.; and his sister Susan Parmenter and her family. Rick’s love for his cats, Dusty and Smokey, was like his love for his family. He loved them and took care of them as though they were his children. His last cat, Dusty, predeceased him only a few days prior to his final illness. He had worked all summer trying to pull him through. That’s why we chose to bury the ashes of the two cats with him. That would have pleased him so much. Rick was the caretaker of all of his family especially his wife who the rest of the family has called spoiled and “the Princess.” She already misses him so much. A memorial service for Rick will be held on Monday, December 15, 2014, at 1:00 PM, at Restland Funeral Home in the Abbey Chapel. Visitation will be at the memorial service. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, at Restland Road, Dallas, TX 75243.
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