Claude Underwood

The services celebrating and honoring the life of Claude Underwood, 86, of Kansas, will be 10:00 A.M. November 13, 2021 in the Waukomis Christian Church, Waukomis, OK; followed by burial at Waukomis Cemetery, Waukomis, OK. Complete Cremation care and services are under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home of Enid.

Claude Underwood passed away on October 29, 2021.  Claude lived a full life, accomplishing everything that he set out to do in life.  He was pre-deceased by his parents, Harold and Alvie, his wife, Augusta Louise, his sisters Peggy Ann Alexander and Frances Kay Hall, and son, Thomas Daniel.  He is survived by son Timothy David and wife Deborah (Ratzlaff) Underwood, and daughter-in-law Lori (Walters) Underwood; grandchildren, Rebekah Lynn (Underwood) and Matthew Prichard; twins Rachel Leann (Underwood) and Tyler Norris, Sarah Anne (Underwood) and Coby Spear; Paul Andrew and Mackenzie (Castle) Underwood; Alyssa (Underwood) and Cody Butts;  great-grandchildren, Emma and Sophia Spear, Alexandria and Evelyn Grace Prichard, Thomas John and Sadie Underwood, and Blake Butts.

Claude was born May 2, 1935, in a house across the road from his maternal grandparents in Fannin County, near Ivanhoe, Texas.  Claude’s family moved to Bonham Texas before he was a year old.  Claude and his family moved to Oklahoma City, OK in September of 1942, and moved again to Waukomis, OK in August of 1947.

Claude met his future wife, Augusta L. Demuth, while in Air Force Basic Flight school at Bryan AFB, Texas.  They were married on February 3, 1957 at Berlin Lutheran Church, Brenham, TX.  They were married for 62 years before her death.

Augusta, Claude and family lived in many places during their marriage, which included Presque Isle, ME; Pinecastle, FL; Vails Gate, NY (near West Point); Barrington, Nova Scotia, Canada; Fair Oaks, CA; Universal City, TX; Montgomery, AL; Big Spring, TX; and Wichita, KS.

He was valedictorian of his senior class at Waukomis High School, Class of 1953.  After one year of college Claude was accepted in the Air Force Aviation Cadet flight school program and after 53 weeks was awarded his silver wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant.  He was trained as Air Defense Command fighter pilot flying the F89D and H models, and spent over 9 years in that command as fighter pilot, radar Weapons Intercept Controller, and pilot of the early Airborne Warning and Control aircraft, the RC-121.  He was transferred to Training Command as instructor pilot on the T-38A, training pilots.  In 1969 he was transferred to Tactical Air Command, McConnell AFB, and checked out in the F-105D, F and G models.  He was sent to Thailand where he flew combat in the Southeast Asian theater of operation.  He returned to McConnell AFB, Wichita, KS to fly the KC-135A.  He retired after 20 years of service.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three oak leafs, Air Force Commendation Medal, and many other awards and service medals.

Claude, after retirement from the Air Force, immediately went to work at Cessna Aircraft Co. in Engineering Administration and worked there for 23 years until total retirement.  He investigated Cessna aircraft accidents and represented Cessna at product liability trials around the U.S. which included a great deal of travel across the country and to foreign lands.

He graduated with a BA from Kansas Newman University, Wichita, KS, and an MBA from Webster University, Webster Grove, MO.