Shirley Underwood passed away peacefully at Hope Hospice, Cape Coral, Florida, on January 11, 2019.

She was a wonderful mother, wife, sister, grandmother, great and great-great grandmother who truly represented the best of “the greatest generation.”

Shirley was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 21, 1928, to Harry and Pearl Traxler. She would call Milwaukee home until graduation from high school. During high school, classmates knew her as “Trixie” Traxler. She was interested in sports and music. After graduation, Shirley was accepted to and attended Bob Jones College, the first in her family to go to college. This decision would profoundly and happily change her life. She met a handsome ex-Air Force navigator and fellow student, Bob Underwood, at Bob Jones; they fell in love and were married in Milwaukee on December 28, 1946, a marriage that lasted almost 66 years until Bob’s passing in 2012.

Bob’s career was as an educator, which took he and Shirley to different colleges and universities as they grew as a family. Son Steve and daughter JoAnne were the lights of their lives, as were their many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

While married, Bob and Shirley lived in many parts of the country, including many years in Whitewater, Wisconsin, where Shirley taught second grade at Washington School, and in retirement at Bella Vista, Arkansas. Shirley loved to play golf with her friends and Bob and Shirley enjoyed their life in Bella Visa. While teaching and during retirement, Bob and Shirley had many great travels together. In 2005 they finally settled in Santa Barbara, California where their son Steve lived. Shirley later moved to Cape Coral in 2017 to be near her daughter JoAnne.

Shirley is survived by her daughter JoAnne Frawley (Mike), and grandson Justin Astin and great-granddaughter Trinity Astin, son Stephen Underwood (Barbara), grandson Nathan Underwood (Kiana) and great-grandchildren Arasteh, Aram and Navid, granddaughter Keely Mann (Mike) and great-grandchildren Ethan, Emerson, Edyn and Kingston, granddaughter Kasandra Bacquet (Daniel) and great-grandchildren Tannyn, Tayli, Trax (named after the Traxler family name), Tavvi and Tyler (Veronica) and great-great grandchild Presley, step-grandson Christian Holst (Tamara) and step-great-grandsons Dominic and Sebastian, step-grandson Josh Worthen, step-granddaughter Paula Frawley, step-grandson Philip Frawley (Jeanette) and step-great-grandchildren Audrey, Peyton, Britta, and step-grandson Brian Frawley (Danielle).

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