Obituary of Grace Brown Underhill

Grace Irene Underhill, 81, of Kernersville passed away surrounded by her family on Friday, October 13, 2023.

Grace was born April 16, 1942 in Colfax, NC as the sixth child of Richard Omer and Ruby Estella Smith Nuckles. She attended Colfax School from 1st to 12th grade where she enjoyed singing, acting and was a very proud member of the National BETA club and a Junior Marshall. She graduated with honors with the Class of 1960. She married Joseph Max Brown on December 23, 1960 and resided in Ft. Pierce, Florida for a time before moving back to the Greensboro area. Grace and Max had three children, Daniel Harrison, Tyler Ray and Dawn Maria Brown. She was proud of her children and the nine grandchildren they brought to her life.

After Max’s death in 1995 she married Edgar Wingate Underhill on May 8, 1998 and added his three sons to her family as well as four additional grandchildren and eventually five great-grandchildren. She continued her role as wife, mother and grandmother with Ed until his recent death March 8, 2020.

Grace worked for Kay Chemical Corporation from January 1972 until she retired with 30 years of service in 2002 from their accounting department. Grace talked of her years at Kay Chemical and the friends she made there with much fondness and took great pride in her work there.

Grace has been an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the past 63 years where she served in every auxiliary including leadership positions in Relief Society, Young Women’s and Primary. Grace had a strong testimony of her beliefs and lived her life accordingly in every way. She was especially passionate about family history and temple work and spent many hours researching her family’s history. She devoted years to writing and compiling a book about her ancestors and her current family called “Everybody Has A Story”. It will be referenced for years to come as a source for our family’s history.

Most importantly we have all learned great lessons in Christ-like love as we watched Grace provide care for many family members that she loved in the last years of their life. She expressed this as her calling in life and she fulfilled it gracefully and with much skill.

Grace is survived by her sister Evelyn Mickey of Colfax, North Carolina, her Son, Tyler Brown and wife Robbie of King, NC and Daughter, Dawn Jones of Kernersville, North Carolina.

Her surviving grandchildren are, Lyndsi Shae Bostwick of San Diego, California, Corey Brown of Shelby, North Carolina, Lacey Tilley of Henderson, Nevada, Jesse Brown of Owasso, Oklahoma, Bradley Brown of Owasso, Oklahoma, Jason Thomas of Currituck, North Carolina, Elizabeth Heck of King, North Carolina, Ty Brown of King, North Carolina , and Patrick Jones of Kernersville, North Carolina. Great Grandchildren Linden Bostwick, Sully Bostwick, Hazel Brown, Rockwell Brown, Tatum Tilley, Oakley Tilley, Norah Tilley, Raelynn Thomas, Kaylee Thomas, Keaton Heck and Kamryn Heck.

She was preceded in death by her husbands Joseph Max Brown and Edgar Wingate Underhill, her son Daniel Harrison Brown, her brothers J.D. Nuckles and Raymond Nuckles and her sisters Blake Nuckles, Maudeen Nuckles, and Erma Lee Nuckles.

Funeral arrangements are being provided by Jefferson-Pierce Funeral Services, Kernersville, NC. Funeral services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 8934 West Market Street, Colfax, NC. Family visitation will be Friday, October 20 from 1:30-3:00 with service and internment immediately following at 3:30 at the same address. All who knew and loved Grace are welcomed and encouraged to attend.