Obituary for Dr. John Underwood
Dr. John William Henry Underwood 1932 - 2018
Passed away unexpectedly in his 86th year at his Seaforth home approaching Christmas eve, and as he would have liked; in his favourite chair, alone with his thoughts, watching TV and listening to his favourite radio station all at the same time. 'Doc' was a fiercely independent thinker and a constant evangel of his home brewed personal philosophy. He bristled at the 'system', particularly government bureaucracy, and he preached personal responsibility to feel well and free of anxiety. He was a lover of nature and preferred to let many things be, as a forested yard and unkempt house would attest. Born in Sarnia, young John survived polio as a child thanks to the newly invented iron lung. Despite a resulting serious handicap to one of his legs young John excelled in sports. He graduated in medicine at Queens University in Kingston where he met his future wife Dr. Anne Lingard. It was at university where he also earned a reputation in wrestling, billiards and bridge. Later he would reside in St Marys, Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto and Seaforth, places to where his internship and practice led him as a GP, surgeon and bone specialist. Along the way he became the father and sometime sports coach to seven children: David, Stephen, Mark, Peter, Janice and Brian with wife Anne, and then John Bailey with Linda McLachlan. Dr. John is predeceased by his brothers Tom and Fred and his sister Edith, and is survived by his sister-in-law Joan LeMay and brother-in-law Lewis MacRae. He leaves behind grandkids Colin, Mallory, Dana, Cameron, Evan, Matthew and great grandson Spencer Colin. Our special thanks to Don Matthews of Seaforth who was like a guardian angel to our dad over his later years, and to the staff at Seaforth and Stratford hospitals who helped dad through some operations over the last year, from which he made speedy recoveries. Up to the end, our father loved to sing. In the busier, stressful days of dad's practice it was not unusual to hear him singing along to Eddy Arnold's song, "Make the world go away, and get if off my shoulders". Wish granted dear dad. Rest in peace. A brief memorial service will be held in the spring at the McGlynn Family Funeral Home in Seaforth. Available there will be free copies of Dr. John's published 600 page 1991 hardcover book "The Evolution of Rational Man", consisting of his free flow writing journaling from 1986 to 1991.
Passed away unexpectedly in his 86th year at his Seaforth home approaching Christmas eve, and as he would have liked; in his favourite chair, alone with his thoughts, watching TV and listening to his favourite radio station all at the same time. 'Doc' was a fiercely independent thinker and a constant evangel of his home brewed personal philosophy. He bristled at the 'system', particularly government bureaucracy, and he preached personal responsibility to feel well and free of anxiety. He was a lover of nature and preferred to let many things be, as a forested yard and unkempt house would attest. Born in Sarnia, young John survived polio as a child thanks to the newly invented iron lung. Despite a resulting serious handicap to one of his legs young John excelled in sports. He graduated in medicine at Queens University in Kingston where he met his future wife Dr. Anne Lingard. It was at university where he also earned a reputation in wrestling, billiards and bridge. Later he would reside in St Marys, Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto and Seaforth, places to where his internship and practice led him as a GP, surgeon and bone specialist. Along the way he became the father and sometime sports coach to seven children: David, Stephen, Mark, Peter, Janice and Brian with wife Anne, and then John Bailey with Linda McLachlan. Dr. John is predeceased by his brothers Tom and Fred and his sister Edith, and is survived by his sister-in-law Joan LeMay and brother-in-law Lewis MacRae. He leaves behind grandkids Colin, Mallory, Dana, Cameron, Evan, Matthew and great grandson Spencer Colin. Our special thanks to Don Matthews of Seaforth who was like a guardian angel to our dad over his later years, and to the staff at Seaforth and Stratford hospitals who helped dad through some operations over the last year, from which he made speedy recoveries. Up to the end, our father loved to sing. In the busier, stressful days of dad's practice it was not unusual to hear him singing along to Eddy Arnold's song, "Make the world go away, and get if off my shoulders". Wish granted dear dad. Rest in peace. A brief memorial service will be held in the spring at the McGlynn Family Funeral Home in Seaforth. Available there will be free copies of Dr. John's published 600 page 1991 hardcover book "The Evolution of Rational Man", consisting of his free flow writing journaling from 1986 to 1991.