Clifford Neil Underwood

1925 - 2015

Clifford Neil Underwood
Resident of Redding
Clifford Neil Underwood went to be with the Lord, and join his beloved wife of 54 years Nola, and grandson Christopher, on April 7, 2015. Cliff, nicknamed Skip, was 89 years young--born May 23, 1925 in Lead, South Dakota to Cecil and Mary (Pavlich) Underwood. He is survived by his sister, Mary Underwood Connelly of San Diego, CA, and 7 children: Debbie Davis of Redding, CA; Roger (Mary Pat) Underwood of San Jose, CA; Barry (Carmen) Underwood of Grants Pass, OR; Valerie (Kevin) Doyle of San Jose, CA; Mimi (Jack) Robinson of Palo Cedro, CA; David (Lisa) Underwood of Nampa, ID; and Jennifer (Bryan) Sterkel of San Jose, CA; and 16 grandchildren: Greg Davis; Nick, Caroline & Nate Underwood; Erik Underwood; Zachary & Riley Doyle; Audra, Elise & David Robinson; Hunter, Justin & Traynor Underwood; Colton, Katey & Ethan Sterkel; and his beloved dog Sesame.
Cliff's early years were spent in Lead, SD, before his father Cecil relocated the family to California to live in Los Angeles, Newport Beach and Long Beach, where he graduated from the 8th grade at Transfiguration. He attended Mt. Carmel High until the family moved to El Cahon, CA, where he graduated from Grossmont High in 1943. He enlisted during WWII in the Army Air Corps, 436th Troop Carrier Group, 79th Squadron, and flew C-47's for Patton's Army and a CG4A glider during Operation Varsity Rhine Crossing. After WWII he moved to Sonora where he met the love of his life, Nola May Cox. They married June 26, 1949 at Chapel of the Pines in Twain Harte, CA. They began their life in San Francisco, where Cliff finished up his civil engineering degree at U.C. Berkeley, and hired on with the City of SF. In 1955 they moved to Campbell with 3 children, then added 4 more, to raise their family. Cliff & Nola took their family camping, snow/skiing, beach trips, vacations to Camp Mather, Lake Almanor, WA, OR, BC, Maui and the Black Hills of SD.
Cliff worked for Mark Thomas, Ruth & Going and Shahinian & Rogers before opening up his own firm, Underwood & Associates, in 1976. He was active in St. Lucy's Church, Knights of Colombus, the Engineers Club and Santa Clara Valley Thunderbird Club. Cliff and Nola loved touring in their 1955 TBird, taking many general aviation flying trips with their dearest friends Jim & Geri Evans, Don & Dianne Landberg, and many excursions with Joe & Lidia Vinal and Roger & Phyliss Gaarder. In 1995 he sold his company and retired. Cliff and Nola moved to Redding in 1997 and continued to enjoy SCVT Club touring, vacations and travels with dear friends and family, WWII Reunions and visiting their kids and grandkids up and down Interstate 5. Cliff pursued his love of fly fishing and trips with Nola all over the North State, Alaska, Canada, Nova Scotia, New England, Europe, Florida and Maui. Nola passed away in 2004 and Cliff remained active with his children's families, church, bible study groups and travels. He loved playing the harmonica, family gatherings, sitting on his lawn swing, photography, learning something new, Kool April Nites, watching NCIS and DWTS, community concerts, live theater, car shows, movies and vanilla ice cream. He was a devoted family man who delighted in his children and grandchildren's pursuits and accomplishments. He was a man of great character who loved Jesus, always a gentleman, patient, great wit, loving, kind and humble. He will forever be in our hearts as his legacy lives on in our lives.
Final arrangements are planned for his ashes to be joined with Nola and Christopher at Lake Almanor, and internment at the Veterans Cemetery in Igo, CA.