Robert J. Underwood

Robert “Bob” Underwood, 83, a proud native of Pittsburgh, PA, longtime resident of Lowell, MA and most recently of Londonderry, NH, passed away peacefully on April 19, 2023, in Hudson, NH, surrounded by his loving family.

Bob is survived by his loving wife, Laurette (Thibeault) Underwood of Londonderry, NH; his four children, Sandy Leduc and her husband Roland of Hudson, NH; Ken Underwood and his wife Kim of Hudson, NH; Jim Underwood and his wife Pam of Lowell, MA and Kathleen Hennessy and her husband Jimmy of Methuen, MA; Papa to five grandchildren, Andrew Leduc, Katie Raistrick and her husband Pat Raistrick, Chris Underwood and his girlfriend Kelsey Putnam, Jessica Underwood and Maddie Hennessy; four great-grandchildren, Everly, Drew, Clara and Sammy.  He is also survived by three siblings, brother Bill Underwood and his wife Carol as well as his sister Jane Bick, all of Bethel Park, PA and brother Mike Underwood and his wife Helen of Gahanna, OH.  Bob is predeceased by his parents, Robert and Ruth (McCaffrey) Underwood and his sister Maryann Malingowski.  Bob leaves behind the Faias and Thibeault families who so lovingly cared for him as a brother and mononcle from the day he entered their lives through to the very end.  He also leaves behind his physical therapist turned close family friend, Melissa Collins of Derry, NH.

Bob was born in Pittsburgh on April 9, 1940, to Robert and Ruth, the oldest of 5 children.  He graduated from St. Justin High School in Pittsburgh in 1958 and enlisted in the United States Navy, where he was assigned aboard the USS Spiegel Grove, LSD-32, as an electronic technician.  During his enlistment, Bob visited ports of call in the Caribbean and Africa, earned a Good Conduct Medal in 1961 and wears the proud title of “Golden Shellback.” Bob often spent liberty ashore playing guitar in a band with shipmates, entertaining the residents with a unique blend of country music and rock & roll.  In 1962, Bob received an honorable discharge from the Navy as an ETR3, Petty Officer Third Class.

With Laurette at his side, Bob enriched his faith and found his true calling as a servant to Jesus through the Salvation Army Lowell Citadel Corps and later with the Pittsburgh Temple Corps.  He became a Soldier of Christ and joined the Army band as a self-taught percussionist.  Over the years Bob also played in the Old Orchard Beach Camp Band, the Mass Brass Band as well as the Pittsburgh Temple band.  One of Bob’s greatest gifts was his ministry to the children and young adults of Lowell.  He was a Sunday school teacher and a Corps Cadet Counselor.  His ministry came in many forms, especially as the van driver who would go to the various sections of Lowell to pick up kids for church who could not otherwise get there.  Any given Saturday or Sunday, you would see Bob around Lowell driving a van full of teenagers, blaring 80s pop music and singing along with his Junior Soldiers.  Many of those children have gone on to be faithful servants of Jesus themselves and thank Bob for starting them on the path.   

Bob worked for many years for MA/COM in Lowell as an electronic technician.  Upon his retirement, he returned to his beloved Pittsburgh area with Laurette, settling in Bethel Park for 16 years before circumstances brought them back to New England in 2021 to be closer with their family.  Bob spent his last few years fighting Alzheimer’s disease.  It was a battle he bravely waged and ultimately won with his promotion to Glory.

His family will be eternally grateful for the staff at Fairview Senior Living in Hudson, NH and the Home Health and Hospice Care of Merrimack, NH for their compassion and dedication to ensuring his final months were respectful and dignified.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life on Monday, April 24th, 2023, at 12 noon, at the Salvation Army Citadel Corps, located at 150 Appleton St., Lowell, MA.  A private burial will be held at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, NH.  In lieu of flowers, friends and family are asked to make a donation to the Salvation Army Lowell http://give.salvationarmy.org/give/173567

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