William Scott (Scotty or Bubba) Underwood, Jr., age 79, died from lymphoma on February 9, 2024 at his home in Watson, Louisiana with his family by his side. He was born at the old Lady of the Lake hospital in downtown Baton Rouge.
His early years were in Watson with his family; they also lived in Mobile, Alabama and Melbourne, Florida as part of his father’s career as a federal civil servant. Bubba came of age in Mobile, where he graduated high school and married Maxine Sewell. They had one daughter, Jonna Michelle, born November 28, 1965. He attended University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg and later graduated from University of South Alabama with degrees in English and Chemistry.
After a subsequent divorce, he met and married Nancy Nykvist. In 1980 they moved back home to Watson, Louisiana, to the old family farm, where they built a house and lived for 40 years. He loved living beside the woods and the path back to the Amite River. Country life suited him; he spent many happy hours looking for fossils on the river, watching birds, feeding raccoons, and porch sitting.
He had a long career with the State of Louisiana, ending as a purchasing agent with the Division of Administration. He retired in 2007 and puttered around the place until Nancy retired in 2009. Afterwards, they bought a camper and hit the road, traveling all over the United States and Canada. There were even some overseas trips to tour Iceland, Greenland, Denmark, and Ireland.
After the Great Flood of 2016, they lived in their camper for a year while their home was repaired. Having moved back into their newly remodeled home, it became clear that taking care of the family farm would be too difficult, so with the agreement of his brother, the family farm was finally sold. He and Nancy bought a house in Oak Hills Subdivision above Watson, where he lived out the remainder of his days.
He was predeceased by parents William Scott Underwood, Sr. and Bobbie A. Allen Underwood, both of Denham Springs; and daughter Jonna Michelle Doucet of Lake Charles. He is survived by his wife Nancy Underwood, grandson Joseph D. Billiot (Catherine) and great grandchildren Henry and Amelia, and his brother James C. Underwood (Shirley).
