Thomas Gerald Underwood

Thomas Gerald Underwood, 56, of West Palm Beach, FL, passed away in the early morning on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 after an 18 month battle with Pancreatic Cancer. He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Christine, their two children Dani, 22, and John Dominick, 18, his three siblings Mark Underwood, Pat Underwood, and Nancy Wooldridge, and his mother and father-in-law, Gloria and Dominick Morra. He is predeceased by his parents John and Helen Marie Underwood. Tom was a loving husband, father, coach and friend who will be forever missed. He should be remembered as an incredible fighter who refused to give in right up until hours before his passing. He was loved by so many for the way he was able to light up a room and evoke constant laughter and happiness. Born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana, Tom was a 3-sport All-American athlete who was eventually drafted as a left-handed pitcher by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1974. In his 11 year major league career, he played for the Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees, the Oakland Athletics, and the Baltimore Orioles. In 1997, he was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1999 he was named Howard County's Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century. His service will be held at Palms West Funeral Home (110 Business Park Way, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411) on Saturday, December 4, 2010. The family will begin receiving guests at 2:00 PM with the service beginning at 2:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Tom's name to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at www.firstgiving.org/tomunderwood