'My superhero': Family and community members grieve beloved Kenosha teacher
Family, friends and the community are mourning the loss of David Underwood, a dedicated teacher at Harborside Academy in Kenosha who unexpectedly passed away over the weekend.
Those who knew him best say he was a passionate man who loved loudly.
“He’s probably like my superhero almost," said Samuel Underwood, David Underwood's son.
Goofy, loving, accepting and understanding. Those are the words Samuel Underwood says best describes his dad.
"He never had speck of selfishness in his heart and he lived so loud and he like reached so many people,” said Samuel Underwood.
Underwood passed away unexpectedly while on vacation with his family over the weekend.
"To imagine never seeing him come up those steps to say hey mom what’s for supper, hey dad you want to watch the game, get some pizza… missing the physicality of him is hard,” said Ruth Underwood, David Underwood's Mom.
His family says Underwood found his passion in teaching, becoming a beloved teacher and mentor to many at Harborside Academy where he worked for several years.
"It makes my heart so full and yet it shatters it into a million pieces because I get to see how many people did love my dad, but I also see how many people have hurt from him being gone,” said Samuel Underwood.
Underwood loved spending time with his wife and three kids and sharing his love for music.
“I mean my dad was my guide," said Gracie Underwood, David Underwood's daughter. "He was you know the first man that I loved, that I fell in love with and he was always the person I would go to with the hard questions.”
His family says the first thing he wanted to do when he came back from vacation was paint a rainbow on their window to spread some joy. Because of that, Friday the community is encouraged to do just that in support.
On Thursday, June 26, Harborside Academy is inviting current and former students, as well as family, to gather between Noon and 3 p.m. in the auditorium for support, reflection and shared memories.
The family has a fundraiser set up to help with funeral and memorial costs here.