Richard Allen Underwood, 80 , known to many as Dick, was born on May 10th, 1946, in Mapleton, Kansas, at his grandmother's house to proud parents Richard E. and Cecil Marice Underwood. Dick's parents were signers of the incorporation papers which established Andover as a city. Dick was in 3rd grade when the family settled there and attended Andover Public Schools through his senior year in high school in 1964.

David's, a department and grocery store located at Kellogg and Greenwich Road in east Wichita was a popular place of employment for many teens of the time. It is where Dick met and quickly fell for his future wife, Rowena McDonald.

The two dated for a couple years, despite a nearly disastrous first date. When Dick arrived to pick up Rowena, one of her brothers managed to toss Dick's car keys onto the roof of the house. Dick eventually got his keys back, but not before taking a bit of playful revenge—the brother later found himself tied to a telephone pole. The rocky beginning didn't deter them, and
their relationship continued to grow.

In 1965, Dick joined the Kansas Air National Guard, and when he was home on leave from tech school in Biloxi, Mississippi, one weekend, Dick and Rowena were married on April 16th,1966. Dick spent time overseas in Korea during the Pueblo Crisis (1968–1969), and when he came home he worked for a short stint at Cessna Aircraft before returning to employment at McConnell Air Force Base with the Kansas Air National Guard as a Communication and Navigation Equipment Repairman.

In March 1972, Dick and Rowena welcomed their first child, daughter Julie, into the world. Julie was so full of fun and sass that they decided to give it another go, welcoming son Darren in January 1975.

Only a week after Darren was born, while working full time, Dick began pursuing further education, ultimately graduating with honors from Butler County Community College. In 1980, Dick began working at Boeing Military Airplane Company as a Quality Control Supervisor in the Contract Management Division. During his time at Boeing, he continued serving in the Kansas Air National Guard, eventually retiring with nearly 22 years of military service. In 2001, he retired from his position at Boeing as well. Not quite ready to slow down, Dick returned to work with Poe & Associates as a project inspector for seven years before retiring for good.

Beyond his professional career, Dick was a hard worker at home, often in the middle of some repair or remodeling project and always maintaining a finely manicured lawn and a large garden.

In 1987, after many years of saving, the Underwoods moved into their brand new brick home on an acre of land on the dead end of Daisy Lane, a quiet dirt road. Dick and Ro committed to making it the home they had always dreamed of, and to this day it remains the spot for many large family gatherings.

While Dick worked hard, he also made time for the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing trips with his buddies. He especially enjoyed time "over east" on the 40 acres in Fall River that his parents owned–a piece of land that remains cherished by the Underwood family today.

Dick suffered a setback in 1988 when a major blockage in his heart required emergency treatment. But this didn't slow him down; instead, he took up another hobby, golf, something he enjoyed for many, many years to come. He played golf regularly with his buddies and eventually passed this passion down to his grandsons.

His first grandson,Nicholas, was born in 1999, followed by granddaughter Allee and three more grandsons: Wesley, Darren II, and Kaden in 2010. Papa Dick poured his heart and soul into his grandchildren, modeling the importance of honesty, love, and dedication to family. Rarely did he miss an opportunity to attend the many events in which the grandkids participated. In fact, one of his final big outings before his extended hospital stay was his grandson Darren's high school
graduation; he had vowed to be there "come Hell or high water!"

Dick's final weeks of life were spent at Kansas Medical Center in Andover and St. Francis in the intensive care unit, before being transferred to Harry Hines Hospice care in the hosptial where he passed away on May 31st. Though often considered the strong,silent type, Dick finished the race loudly and clearly proclaiming his love for the many family and friends who surrounded him. We can only hope he felt that love just as strongly in return!

Dick is preceded in death by his father, Richard E. Underwood and mother, Cecil Marice (Steele) Underwood.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Rowena "Ro" Underwood of Andover, Kansas; his daughter Julie Detter (Stanley May) of Andover, Kansas; his son Darren Underwood (Shelly) of Atlanta, Kansas; his sister Donna Carr (Max) of Andover, Kansas; his grandchildren Nicholas Detter (Rebeca), Allee Clark (Johnny), Wesley Detter (Zadiea), Darren Underwood II, and Kaden Underwood, and his two great grandchildren, Ryker and Kyler Clark.

A memorial gathering will be held in the gallery at Andover Public Library on Sunday, June 7, from 4:00–6:00 p.m. A graveside service at Andover Cemetery will be held on Monday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m.

A memorial has been established in Dick's honor with St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital