Mary Lea Oxford Underwood

March 4, 1916-January 9, 2005


Mary Lea

Mary Lea Oxford Underwood was born March 4, 1916 in Crowley, Louisiana, the second child of Lillie Rebecca Knight Oxford and J.W. Oxford. She spent much of her childhood in southwestern Louisiana. Initially taught by her mother, she entered school at the third-grade level and went on to finish high school in Baton Rouge, La. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 1936 and completed her Master of Science degree there in 1937. Pursuing her studies at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, she met and married Joseph B. Underwood in 1939. She obtained her second master's degree in Religious Education in 1940. In 1943 she traveled with her husband to Brazil, where they served as missionaries in Recife and Campina Grande for 10 years and began raising four children.

Returning to the United States in 1953, they settled first in Clovis, New Mexico, and later in Albuquerque, where she shared her many skills and talents both in the workplace and at home with her children. In 1961, the family moved to Richmond, Viginia. Here, she continued to work while pursuing further graduate studies in Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia. Sharing her life-long passion for learning, she taught in the Richmond Public Schools for over twenty years, first working with special education students, and later fulfilling what she regarded as the culmination of her career in education, teaching older youth at Richmond's Juvenile Detention Home until her retirement in 1982.

Compassionate and considerate, she had a critical eye for unfairness, prejudice and hypocrisy. Patient and unassuming, she supported all those she loved with quiet determination. A loving mother and a wonderful friend, she died on January 9, 2005. She is remembered fondly by her four children, Wyatt, Judy, William, and Charles; her seven grandchildren, Grant, Kyle, Shauna, Donnie, Mark, Larissa and Ali; her seven great-grandchildren and by friends and loved ones throughout the United States and the world. A small private memorial service will be held in the near future.

By Charles Underwood (photo and text published in Richmond newspaper)






Remembering Mary Lea for Grant, Kyle and Shauna: (and so the other grandchildren know some more of their grandmother as well) January 30, 2005.

When my mother passed away in 1979, your grandmother, Mary Lea stepped up to the plate and filled the grandmother position for you three kids. It is not always easy to maintain a relationship with the in-laws after a divorce no one knows quite how to keep things going. There was the customary Christmas and holiday greetings, but Mary Lea decided that she was missing an important part of your lives and took the initiative to make a trip across country to get to know you better. She also became a second Mom to me, and we had a great phone relationship. She was there to hear of your accomplishments and even a few things that were not quite what we would call accomplished. She was proud of each of you and proud of me. She never failed to express that. She often said that all of her children and grandchildren were creative souls and then she would list all of the creative outlets that you all do have. That made her incredibly proud and happy. I will always appreciate the magazine subscriptions that she sent each of you during your adolescence (Seventeen, National Geographic, Junior Scholastics etc.). It was a wonderful Christmas present and a very good idea. She connected with each of you once a month when the magazines arrived in the mail. And let's not forget her own letters. I know each of you has kept some of her wonderful handwritten letters and cards. She turned letter writing into a beautiful art form, words of encouragement and pride written in perfect penmanship and grammar. She was proud of those letters and the ones she received in return. You can be proud to be her legacy. She may have been small in stature but she towered above most of her generation in her courage, strength and fortitude. I'm glad she was a piece of your history, your graduations and your weddings. She will be missed, but that special love that she directed to each of us at one time or another will always be available for us to draw upon when we need a boost. She would like that.

With love and admiration, Mom (Aunt Sue Lynn)






Goodbye to my loving grandma Mary Lea - you truly inspired me to be a better person, a stronger woman, to embrace family through our many differences, and to always see the positive in life. In a very special way you were a bridge to family, especially with those on the eastern side of the country - a reminder that history - our history is important.

As a girl, you always made me feel so good - you would let me sit on your lap and you smiled down at me with pride. I will remember that smile forever. You never seemed to have a harsh or judgmental word. I always knew you loved me - always. As I grew in to a teenager our contact was more limited to phone calls, letters, and visits at holidays or special occasions. Across the miles your voice smiled at me - your letters carried news of Joe, Judy and Don and the kids, Bill, Charlie and Kelsey and Ali, and even my Dad. Your love and pride for everyone warmed me. And every birthday, ten dollars included in my card - a constant throughout the years - a reminder that you loved and thought of me. Even in college, as my independence soared, it was a reminder of your thoughtfulness and the importance of connection to family.

In adulthood, I truly came to appreciate what a gift that was - the time and care of tending to a relationship. For me, it is a culmination of memories that are you - a rich tapestry of color, family, history, your sweet southern voice, and your smile. I honor you today in memoriam with our family, and will continue to honor you in my life to make you proud. Thank you for making me feel so special as a granddaughter. You are with me whenever I smile.

Your loving granddaughter, Shauna Lynn




April 1, 2005