Dr. Jefferson Underwood, III

Obituary For Dr. Jefferson Underwood, III

Jefferson Underwood III, MD was born May 15, 1955 in Montgomery, AL. He lived a life filled with a host of accomplishments. A graduate of Alabama State University with a BA in Biology (1977), Jeff went on to obtain his MD degree from Meharry Medical College in 1981. After completing his internship and residency in Internal Medicine in the Georgetown University Program at D.C. General Hospital, Jeff returned to Montgomery to join his father in the practice of Internal Medicine. When his father retired in 1993, Jeff continued the practice until his health required him to reluctantly retire.

During Jeff’s life he was the recipient of many honors which include: The Young Democrats 2005 Physician of the Year and Achievement Award for Community Service in Health, the 2015 International Association of Internal Medicine’s Top Doctor Award, the 2020 Laureate Award recipient from the Alabama Chapter of The American College of Physicians, and the 2020 Samuel Buford Word Award from the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. He was also awarded the Medical Association of the State of Alabama’s Douglas L. Cannon Award for Medical Journalism.

Dr. Underwood’s professional memberships included: The American Medical Association, The National Medical Association, The American College of Physicians, The International Society for Hypertension in Blacks, The Board of Medical Examiners for the State of Alabama, and The Editorial Board for the Journal of Ethnicity. He was also a member of the Montgomery County Medical Society, (in which he served on the Board of Trustees and as President) and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama’s Board of Censors. He was a past President of the Board of Censors and was the first African-American male to serve as President of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

Giving back to his community was one of Dr. Underwood’s greatest passions. He served on the board of directors for the Montgomery Area United Way, The Alliance for Responsible Individual Choices for AIDS/HIV, the Montgomery County Health Department Hunt Diabetic Clinic, Father Walter’s Center for Gifted Children and Habitat for Humanity. In addition, he served as a health editor for The Montgomery Advertiser.

On Monday, September 6, 2021, Jeff expired peacefully at home after a six year battle with ALS. He was preceded in death by his son, Blake and parents, Olean Black Underwood and Dr. Jefferson Underwood. He is survived by his wife, Sara, sons, Slayton and Zach and brother, Perrin Underwood. He will be missed by his family, friends, the patients he served and the community.

A graveside service will be held at Greenwood Cemetery on Monday, September 13, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. with Father Manuel Williams, C.R. of Resurrection Catholic Church, officiating. Face mask are required. The service will be live streamed via Ross-Clayton Funeral Home's Facebook page and YouTube. The link for YouTube is: https://youtu.be/sxRb63Zlsh8

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