Paul Vernon Underhill

Paul Vernon Underhill, 95, of Ankeny passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the VA Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa.

Visitation will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at Memorial Services of Iowa (4208 N. Ankeny Blvd). A funeral service will be held following the visitation at 1:00 p.m., with burial to follow at Ankeny Memorial Gardens.

Paul was born on December 9, 1929, in a farmhouse near Maxwell, Iowa, to Robert and Carrie Underhill. He grew up on the family farm in rural Maxwell and graduated from Maxwell High School in 1948.

In 1951, Paul was drafted into the US Army and served in Germany during the Korean War as a medical clerk.

From 1953 to 1963 he worked as a bookkeeper for two firms and then worked for 30 years as an accountant for Des Moines Public Schools.

Paul loved life and faced everything with grace, kindness, and positivity. He enjoyed traveling, gardening, puttering around at the farm, reading, and spending time with his family. He was proud of his family and adored his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Paul is survived by his wife, Karen; his daughters, Paula (Ward) Nelson of Ankeny, Jayne Underhill of Maxwell, and Shannon (Kevin) Golwitzer of Elkhart; grandchildren, Chelsey (Tyler) Cook, Hannah (Rachael) Paul, Ethan (Rachel) Nelson, Alec (Samantha) Nelson, Kassidee Golwitzer, and Sean Golwitzer; and great-grandchildren, Coraline, Mirabell, Royce and Ryder. He is also survived by stepchildren, Lucinda, Brenda, Warren, Myron and their spouses and eight step-grandchildren. He was very proud that Ethan and Alec served in the US Army and Sean in the Iowa National Guard.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret; grandson, Aaron Nelson; and his parents.

The family wishes to thank the staff at VA-CLC 2 Hospice for their exceptional respect and care of Paul.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the VA Central Iowa Health Care System.