Underwood, aviation board member, dies

ALBANY, Ga. — Bill Underwood, a member of the Albany Aviation Commission and a former Dougherty County commissioner, has died. He was 65.

Underwood died from a heart attack while on vacation in New Mexico with his wife, Jeanie, officials with Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home said Thursday.

Dr. Bill Mayher, chairman of the aviation board, said he learned of Underwood’s death Thursday morning.

“I’ve known him for years,” Mayher said. “He was a great fellow. He was a fine fellow, honest as the day is long and a good friend.”

Mayher said Underwood was already on the airport board when he joined. “He’s been a great help to us (on the commission),” Mayher said. “He was always very fair. He always wanted to hear from both sides before making a decision.”

He said Underwood practiced law alone in recent years before his son joined his firm last year.

Yvette Aehle, Southwest Georgia Regional Airport Director, said she credits Underwood with much of her success while at the airport.

“He had a very keen understanding of the airport and local government and was able to advise the commission on those matters,” she said. “I think the commission will have a hard time replacing him and I will miss him very much.”

Underwood was a pilot and stored his private plane at the airport.

Aehle said news of Underwood’s death was a “very shocking thing” and members of Underwood’s law office staff said the attorney seemed to be in good health.

Previously, Underwood served on the Dougherty County Commission where he chaired the public safety committee.

Underwood was also a past president of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and a member of the Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. An Army veteran, he was a graduate of Georgia Military College and the University of Georgia and the John Marshall Law School.

In 1995, Underwood and his family were the victims of a road-rage shooting in Albany that left his son, then 14, injured when a bullet grazed him.

According to reports, the Underwoods were traveling about 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning in April 1995 when Underwood made a U-turn on Dawson Road and an SUV sped past his Land Rover and cut into his lane in front of him.

When they got on the Liberty Expressway, the Jeep slowed and Underwood told his son to call police on the cellular phone when he saw the Jeep’s passenger window come down as the SUV rode beside them. Then, he said, his driver’s side window exploded as at least three shots were fired into his vehicle, with one hitting his son.

“I guess we’re all going to have to give up and get handguns,” Underwood told The Albany Herald in 1995. “That’s a sad commentary on our society.”

Two men — Jordan Milton Walker of Albany and Eric Walker of Macon — were each charged with four counts each of aggravated assault, terroristic threats and possession for a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors is in charge of funeral arrangements.