Al Underhill

Funeral Services for Al Underhill, 78, Clinton businessman, will be held 2:00 P.M., Friday, December 27, 2019 in the Kiesau memorial Chapel, officiated by Daniel Mosburg and Steve Weichel and under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. Al Underhill, 78, died December 23, 2019, at his Clinton, Oklahoma, home. Al was the eldest son of Clint and Bonnie Underhill of Farmington, Arkansas. Al was born at Fayetteville, Arkansas, December 3, 1941. Al was like his mother, who never met a stranger and everyone loved. Al always had a knack for inventing and crafting. As a “little professor-child” of ten or twelve years, he wanted a chemistry set for Christmas, and he spent hours learning about combining chemicals and understanding safe handling practices. When the telephone system was upgraded in the late 1950s, he used some discarded batteries that were used to power the telephone to make his own telegraph system, complete with the Morse Code. It was surprising what he could repurpose. In 1960, Al graduated from Westville (Oklahoma) High School, and in 1965, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Spanish education at Northeastern State College, Tahlequah. For a number of years, he was a classroom teacher at Kansas High School, at Kansas, Oklahoma, and at Fairfax (Oklahoma) High School. He also did voluntary counseling for students in regard to personal problems and studies and he tutored adults and students in English and Literature as well as composition. He had a brilliant recall of words and their meanings. Language learning came easy for Al. In addition to learning Spanish, he worked part time in the College print shop and among other tasks, he set type for a newsletter and primer used to reintroduce the Cherokee Syllabary, which is essentially the Cherokee alphabet. One day, according to Al, he informed his dad, a contractor who worked outside constructing poultry buildings, the type that populate Eastern Oklahoma, that he wanted to become a carpenter. His dad had wanted him to become school teacher, but Al wanted to become a carpenter and become his own boss. That was when he loaded up his tool box and ended up in Western Oklahoma. Al became a skilled carpenter and general contractor in the Clinton area, and as far west as Santa Fe, NM, for more than thirty years, remodeling and building homes and commercial offices, and nurturing friendships. On June 5th, 1986 Al and Carol Meeks were married and made their home in Clinton. He lived by the principle of doing the right thing, making and sustaining friendships, honoring commitments, becoming a trusted companion, and maintaining dignity. He also believed in giving people second chances and was a role model to all. These are rare qualities. He is preceded in death by his parents, and a granddaughter, Alyson Underhill. He is survived by his wife, Carol of the home; three daughters, Tina Underhill, Greenland, AR, Sonja Parks and husband, John, Gilbert, AZ and Gayla Tucker, and husband, Michael, Clinton; two sons, Bryan Hunter and wife, Staci, Arapaho and Terry Hunter, Clinton; brother, Lonnie Underhill and wife, Shannon, Gilbert, AZ. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, Bonni Boone, Joseph Boone, Lainey Boone, Lizzie Boone, Emily Underhill, Monica Martinez, Bailey Hunter, Brecken Hunter, Blake Hunter and Ashely Gregory and three great-grandchildren, Karlee Martinez, Kyran Martinez, Elliott Weber and one on the way; brothers in law, Larry Meeks and wife, Marsha, Gary Meeks and wife, Darla and sister in law, Tina Cross and husband Kenneth