Thomas Aidan Underwood Jr.

Thomas Aidan Underwood, Jr., 75, of Newington, beloved husband for 51 years of Irene (Syp) Underwood, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 14, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Tom was born in Winchester, MA on May 29, 1950, to the late Thomas Aidan Underwood, Sr. and Norma (Frey) Underwood. As a child, Tom's family moved to Chesire, CT, where he spent his formative years and graduated from Cheshire High School, Class of 1968. After high school, Tom continued his education at the University of Connecticut where he received his bachelor's degree in 1973. While at UConn, Tom met his future wife, Irene who lived right next door in their apartment complex. The young couple started dating and eventually married on June 29, 1974. Tom spent most of his career in the insurance industry working in information technology and systems. He worked for Aetna, The Travelers and Cigna through many mergers and acquisitions and prior to his retirement in 2015, he worked as a consultant for Tsunami in their IT department. Tom was a past member of the Elks. Embracing his wife's Polish heritage, he was active in several organizations in the Polish community. Tom served on the board of directors for the Polish National Home of Hartford, Inc., was a member of PNA Lodge #464 and PNA Council #58. Both of Tom and Irene's daughters were graduates of SS. Cyril & Methodius School, where Tom and Irene helped with numerous fundraisers and school activities. He is fondly remembered for organizing and running the weekly Tuesday night Bingo. Tom loved music throughout his life and was a self-taught guitarist and keyboard player. He played by ear and loved performing his favorite classic rock songs. Tom's band T.U.B. – the Tom Underwood Band – played many classic rock hits. He enjoyed practicing and casually performing with his friends throughout the Hartford area. Tom enjoyed sharing his love of music with all who knew him, but mostly especially his daughters. A proud UConn alum, Tom was a huge UConn Basketball fan and enjoyed rooting for the Men's and Women's Basketball teams. An avid sports fan, Tom loved watching his Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Chiefs, NASCAR, the Hartford Whalers and later the Boston Bruins. In his spare time, Tom enjoyed golfing and traveling. With family and friends, he loved going on cruises and vacations, especially yearly trips to Newport, RI. Most of all, Tom will be remembered for his unique, but infectious sense of humor. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. To know Tom was to love him. He could talk to anyone about anything – music, sports, history, space, art and literature, just to name a few. Tom's knowledge about almost any topic was vast and impressive. After marrying Irene, he worked hard to learn about her Polish heritage and share her traditions with his daughters and later, his three grandchildren as their beloved "Dziadzi". In addition to his wife Irene, he leaves two loving daughters, Veronica Grubin and her husband Mark, and Allison Stacey, all of Newington; grandchildren, Avery, Aedyn, and Asher Grubin; a brother, Ted Kleber of California; two sisters, Kathy (Ken) Frankish of Colorado, and Rosemary (Art) Nadeau of Maine; a sister-in-law, Barbara Maziarz of West Hartford; a brother-in-law, Richard Moulis of Bristol; a special cousin, Carol (Tadek) Socha of Hartford; nieces and nephews, Kevin (Tiah) Frankish, Karen (Zach) Bish, Leigh (Ben) Neumon, David Moulis, Sarah Nadeau and Aaron Nadeau; and many beloved first cousins, extended cousins, and special friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Norma Underwood; a sister, Christine Moulis; and two brothers-in-law, Richard Syp and Richard Maziarz. His family will receive friends on Thursday, August 21st from 5-8 PM, at the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor. Family and friends may gather on Friday, August 22nd, 9 AM, at the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial, 10 AM, at SS. Cyril & Methodius Church, Hartford. Burial will follow at Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. The family has requested that memorial contributions be made to one of three organizations that were all close to Tom's heart. SS. Cyril & Methodius Church, Attn: Restoration Fund, 55 Charter Oak Ave., Hartford, CT 06106, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or by visiting, www.stjude.org/donate, or to the Connecticut Humane Society, 701 Russell Rd., Newington, CT 06111 or by visiting, www.cthumane.org/donate. For online condolences, to view the Funeral Mass live or after, Friday, August 22nd at 10 AM, please visit, www.carmonfuneralhome.com.