Bernice Ann “Bunny” Potter Underwood, 80, of Silsbee, died Tuesday, May 17, 2016, at Silsbee Oaks Health Care, Silsbee. She was born on January 27, 1936 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mabel Musser Potter and Homer Reeves Potter.
In Bunny’s early years the family moved often; first, when her dad joined the United States Navy at the start of World War II. During this time, they lived in Lake Charles, Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Pass Christian, Mississippi. After the war was over, her family moved back to Memphis, Tennessee for a short time.
In 1947, Bunny’s family moved to Beaumont, where she attended Dick Dowling Junior High school, and later graduated from Beaumont High School in 1953. She then attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, where she was nominated by her Phi Mu sisters to represent them in the annual All School Beauty Contest.
In 1955, Bunny left college to marry Al. T. Underwood, Jr., of Beaumont, and together they had two children, Al T. Underwood III and Lisa Lyn Underwood Wagner. The family continued to live in Beaumont, where her children graduated from French High School and Forest Park High School. Their family was active in the First Baptist Church of Beaumont.
In 1978, Bunny and her husband moved to Lufkin, where they resided for the next thirty-five years. While there, she volunteered and worked as a Pink Lady in the local hospital for over twelve years. Bunny loved to greet and visit with people coming into the hospital and she was ideal for the job. She often said that meeting new people was fun. She especially liked operating the popcorn machine in the lobby, and she loved the popcorn.
Bunny had a wonderful sense of humor and her laugh was one-of-a-kind-amazing. A friend of hers once said “even if you were in a crowded theater and something funny happened, I would know if Bunny was there by her unmistakable laughter.”
After her husband of forty-seven years passed, she moved back to Beaumont, and later to the Silsbee area.
Bunny is survived by grandchildren, William John Wagner and Catherine Elisabeth Wagner. She also leaves behind many dear friends, especially Verdie Petkovsek, who was not only her friend, but also a confidant and willing to help her later in life, and Cynthia Smith, with whom she always kept up with and knew she could count on.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Al T. Underwood, Jr.; daughter, Lisa Underwood Wagner; and son, Al T. Underwood III. Her family is waiting for her in Heaven.
A graveside service for Mrs. Underwood will be 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 4955 Pine Street, Beaumont.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Lufkin, 106 East Bremond Avenue, Lufkin, Texas 75901, or to Baylor University, c/o University Development, One Bear Place #97050, Waco, Texas 76798-7050.
