Henry Whitehead Underhill, Jr. Obituary (1941 - 2020)

Born July 10, 1941 in Raleigh, NC; died October 18, 2020 in Seattle, WA. Survived by Mary, his loving wife of 54 years; his children, Henry Underhill III (Michelle Lewis) and Lara Underhill (Julian Hyseni); grandchildren, Nathan, Adam, and Carolina; his sisters, Melelia Bass and Margaret Pattison (Ted); and his extended family. Preceded in death by his brother and sister, David and Susan. After earning his undergraduate degree from Belmont Abbey University, Henry found his beloved Tar Heels while attending University of North Carolina Law School. While at Chapel Hill, Henry met his future wife, Mary, on a blind date. After they both graduated from UNC, they began their 54-year marriage in Charlotte in 1964 when Henry became the assistant City Attorney for Charlotte, eventually becoming the Charlotte City Attorney for nearly 30 years. During the time Henry was City Attorney, Charlotte grew into a major metropolitan center and the home to several Fortune 500 businesses and a major banking center, as well as home to major sports franchises. Henry's work as the chief legal officer for the city helped to make these advances possible. During their time in Charlotte, both Henry and Mary made many lifelong friendships, including a tight group of friends who Henry took bi-annual "men's beach trips" with that he cherished. This group continued this tradition for more than 40 years and continue to hold a tight bond to this day. Henry retired as Charlotte City Attorney in 1994 and he and Mary took on a new adventure in Alexandria, Virginia when he became the Executive Director of IMLA - International Municipal Lawyers Association. During Henry's tenure at IMLA, he helped to save the organization from financial ruin and often postponed his own pay to ensure that staff was paid on time. That was the kind of person Henry was. Humble, kind, generous, graciously welcoming everyone into the warmth of his personality. After Henry retired, he and Mary moved to Seattle to be closer to their children and grandchildren. While Henry was many things in life, a great lawyer, friend, brother, mentor; it was his family he cherished most. He was lovingly known as "Pops" and enjoyed this precious time and supporting his grandchildren through their various activities. He was a lover of travel, wine, good food, Tar Heel basketball, Seahawks football, and was an avid social justice activist. He taught his children the value of equality and equity, and they will carry those values on through him. His family holds so many lovely memories of the amazing human he was and will miss him terribly. Remembrances may be made in his name to Food Lifeline foodlifeline.org or your local food bank. Private services have been held.