William J. (Bill) Underwood, age 88, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, October 24, 2009. He was born on September 29, 1921, in Houston, Texas. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Maxine Underwood. Bill served proudly in the United States Army Air Corp as a Second Lieutenant during WWII. He was a navigator aboard a B-17 bomber and was wounded when his plane was shot down over Berlin, Germany. He was a POW for one year and was awarded the Purple Heart After the war, he returned to Texas to marry his sweetheart, Nila Maxine Grady, on August 31, 1945, and then attended and became a proud graduate of Texas A&M University. The family lived in Mexico City for 36 years, where Bill was Chairman of the Board and CEO of Anderson Clayton's Mexican subsidiaries, and was also a member of the parent company's Board of Directors. Bill was very involved in civic and community affairs, serving as President of the American Chamber of Commerce and the American School Foundation. He was a Board member in two Mexican organizations that were close to his heart, the Fundacion Mexicana para el Desarollo Rural and the Fundacion para el Fomento Educacional. This was the first private Mexican association to aid with the development and financing of the individual Mexican farmer. The latter, was a private sector association which encouraged the exchange of cultural ideas and programs between Mexico and the United States. Bill was co-chairman of a very ambitious construction campaign for the American, British, Cowdray Hospital in Mexico City. At the time of his retirement and return to the United States, over $11 million dollars was raised for the expansion of the hospital. He loved baseball and felt all boys should have an opportunity to play, so along with a few friends, founded and was President of the Maya Little League Baseball Association. Bill and Maxine retired to La Jolla, California, in 1987 where he became active with Scripps Clinic, in particular Green Hospital, and a Trustee with the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation. Bill is also survived by daughters, Karen Underwood of Dallas, TX, Marsha (Ted) Shuck of Denver, CO, and Barbara (Bill) Homrighausen of Plano, TX; son, Bill (Susan) Underwood of Dallas, TX; one granddaughter; and nine grandsons. To the end, Bill was a loving, caring, funny and generous gentleman who will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. A Celebration of Life will be held on November 14 from 12 – 2:30 pm at the La Jolla Country Club for family and friends. The family asks that any memorials please be made in Bill's name to San Diego Hospice Foundation, 4311 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103.