Thomas Westlake Underhill ’45

Tom Underhill died June 26, 2003, in West Chatham, Mass.

Tom entered Princeton from Summit [N.J.] HS and joined Charter Club. Accelerating, he received his degree in chemistry in 1944, then served as a naval officer aboard the USS Perry in the Atlantic theater. Tom next received a law degree from Harvard in 1949 and became an international patent lawyer with the Kendall Co. in Boston. He continued in practice with Kendall and with Monsanto until he retired in 1976.

In 1950, Tom married the former Carly Barber, who predeceased him in 1995. Tom then married the former Janet Means. In the 50th yearbook, Tom noted a mixed blessing in his life when he was elected a selectman of a small Massachusetts town. In addition to devoting effort to the many duties this post entailed, Tom found time to enjoy sailing, writing mystery novels, and composing wickedly difficult crossword puzzles featuring impossible puns. We will miss Tom and his highly developed sense of humor.

In addition to Janet, he is survived by a daughter, Sara Wisseman, a son, Nicholas, and three grandchildren. The class extends its sympathy to the family.

The Class of 1945