Richard "Dick" Allan Underwood

Richard (Dick) A. Underwood, 92 passed away on January 3rd, 2026, at Clemson Downs Medical Care Facility.

Born and raised in Plymouth, Michigan, Dick's parents were the late Harold and Yvonne Underwood. Dick Graduated from Plymouth High School and received his bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

He served his country as a first lieutenant in the United States Army Counterintelligence (CIC) in Frankfurt, Germany and in the United States. While in Germany, Dick was also a race car driver on the Nurburgring.

Dick left his career at General Motors Corporation in Detroit, Michigan to live in and travel through Europe for a year with his wife, Sandra.

After having his novel, A Little Bit of Love, published by Holt Rinehart & Winston in NYC (and reviewed in Life Magazine and Publishers Weekly), he was awarded a Breadloaf Fellowship for his writing at a workshop for the writers created by Robert Frost at Middlebury College in Vermont.

In 2010, My Years at General Motors and Other Stories, a memoir, was published and his website http://www.raunderwood.com was created.

Dick retired as an emeritus professor of English Language and Literature at Clemson University where he taught for more than 28 years. He was an internationally noted scholar and the author of several books on Shakespeare.

Dick was also a professional jazz musician (on piano) and performed with his band over many years and at many venues.

Dick is survived by his loving family David and Janice Young of Athens, Michigan, and their children, grandchildren, and great grandchild; Benjamin and his wife Jennifer, and daughters, Genevieve, Violet and Harper; Brian and wife Christi, and sons, Greyson and Gunner; Lindsey and husband Josh Smith, and children, Kennedy and Husband Davontae, and son Atlas Kanjira, Keegan Eric, Pasiley, and Haven. Dick was also blessed with many wonderful friends over the years.

Dick is predeceased by his parents, Harold and Yvonne, his beloved wife, Sandra of 61 years, his beloved son, Eric Michael Underwood, as well as his beloved Samoyed dog (that he rescued) Sasha.

A private graveside service will be held in Michigan where Dick, Sandra, and Eric will be buried together at Rose Center Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the University of Michigan Library in his name. Condolences may be expressed at Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home in Central, SC, where the family is being helped.