Helen was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She was born to Ida Ruth Bright and William Cedric Adams on June 1, 1948, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. A year later her sister Josie (Elaine) was born.
It was a difficult time during that period and many African Americans were migrating from the south for a better life. Ida set a plan in place for her family to do the same, leaving Helen and Elaine in the caring hands of their Grandaunt Mittie Ward in Wilson, NC, who was really like a grandmother to both. With her children in good hands, Ida headed north to prepare a new foundation for her family. Once set, the sisters joined their mother in Philadelphia, PA where they attended school before relocating to Newark, NJ. It was there where Helen dipped her toes in the modeling world ripping the runways.
This was a good thing, as Newark NJ is where Helen met the love of her life, Joseph Underwood, an active Naval serviceman. Helen was 18 and Joseph was 24. It was love at first sight. Within a year they were married on November 11, 1966.
Helen settled right into to the military life raising 2 children: Kim and Terrace and created a loving family environment. The family was deployed to many places up and down the Northeast with their final destination being Willingboro, NJ. Within that time, Helen earned an Associates Degree in Business from Rider University and went on to work for TransAmerica Delaval for over 25 years as a Sales and Service Specialist; her duties included ordering submarine parts and the like for the US Government. She was actively involved in many of the company's projects including their annual picnic.
No matter their place of residence, family members from both sides, would travel far and wide to visit Joseph and Helen and vice versa. Without fail, every summer, the Underwoods would pack up the car to visit family in the south.
Helen had a wonderful flair for home decorating, upholstery, photography and dollmaking. She created custom holiday tree bulbs, African American Raggedy Ann dolls, and photo collages amongst other things. It was rare that she didn't have a camera in her hand asking all to smile especially during family functions. She also had a culinary flare in the kitchen, making soul food egg rolls, potato salad, and her infamous macaroni and cheese, which was always a crowd favorite. Grilling in the backyard or at the Willingboro Jazz Festival became one of her and the family's yearly traditions.
Helen's grandchildren were her heart and joy. There's no denying her grandbabies, as she called them, were the people that she loved the most. Time spent at Nannie's house was very special to her. It's incredibly difficult to sum up the impact and influence Helen had on those around her, but each individual knows how she impacted their life. Close your eyes and picture her, you will see a vibrant woman, running, jumping, smiling, dancing and never sitting still. She went out of her way to help family and friends without fail.
Left to cherish her memory are her children; Kim Underwood & Terrace Underwood; a niece who was like a daughter, Valaria Adams-Johnson; three grandchildren; Daeshon Underwood (fiancée-Magdalena Biesczcad), Terrace Underwood, Jr; and Mikayla Underwood; two sisters, Josie Elaine Adams (husband Bobby) and Jacqueline Farmer (husband Richard); brother and sister inlaw SJ Underwood (wife Lavern) and Mrs. Mozelle Underwood-Williams (husband Ted) and a multitude of other family and friends. The family would like to send a special thank you to Darryl Roberts (nephew) for being so supportive to us in our time of need. You were like a son to them in many ways.
Helen transitioned the morning of July 31, 2022, at 8.30am, surrounded by her loved ones after a battle with vascular disease. God gave Helen eternal rest from the physical pain and wrapped His loving arms around her to usher her home to eternal grace. Her sweet spirit will be missed by so many.
T.L. Hutton Funeral Home
It was a difficult time during that period and many African Americans were migrating from the south for a better life. Ida set a plan in place for her family to do the same, leaving Helen and Elaine in the caring hands of their Grandaunt Mittie Ward in Wilson, NC, who was really like a grandmother to both. With her children in good hands, Ida headed north to prepare a new foundation for her family. Once set, the sisters joined their mother in Philadelphia, PA where they attended school before relocating to Newark, NJ. It was there where Helen dipped her toes in the modeling world ripping the runways.
This was a good thing, as Newark NJ is where Helen met the love of her life, Joseph Underwood, an active Naval serviceman. Helen was 18 and Joseph was 24. It was love at first sight. Within a year they were married on November 11, 1966.
Helen settled right into to the military life raising 2 children: Kim and Terrace and created a loving family environment. The family was deployed to many places up and down the Northeast with their final destination being Willingboro, NJ. Within that time, Helen earned an Associates Degree in Business from Rider University and went on to work for TransAmerica Delaval for over 25 years as a Sales and Service Specialist; her duties included ordering submarine parts and the like for the US Government. She was actively involved in many of the company's projects including their annual picnic.
No matter their place of residence, family members from both sides, would travel far and wide to visit Joseph and Helen and vice versa. Without fail, every summer, the Underwoods would pack up the car to visit family in the south.
Helen had a wonderful flair for home decorating, upholstery, photography and dollmaking. She created custom holiday tree bulbs, African American Raggedy Ann dolls, and photo collages amongst other things. It was rare that she didn't have a camera in her hand asking all to smile especially during family functions. She also had a culinary flare in the kitchen, making soul food egg rolls, potato salad, and her infamous macaroni and cheese, which was always a crowd favorite. Grilling in the backyard or at the Willingboro Jazz Festival became one of her and the family's yearly traditions.
Helen's grandchildren were her heart and joy. There's no denying her grandbabies, as she called them, were the people that she loved the most. Time spent at Nannie's house was very special to her. It's incredibly difficult to sum up the impact and influence Helen had on those around her, but each individual knows how she impacted their life. Close your eyes and picture her, you will see a vibrant woman, running, jumping, smiling, dancing and never sitting still. She went out of her way to help family and friends without fail.
Left to cherish her memory are her children; Kim Underwood & Terrace Underwood; a niece who was like a daughter, Valaria Adams-Johnson; three grandchildren; Daeshon Underwood (fiancée-Magdalena Biesczcad), Terrace Underwood, Jr; and Mikayla Underwood; two sisters, Josie Elaine Adams (husband Bobby) and Jacqueline Farmer (husband Richard); brother and sister inlaw SJ Underwood (wife Lavern) and Mrs. Mozelle Underwood-Williams (husband Ted) and a multitude of other family and friends. The family would like to send a special thank you to Darryl Roberts (nephew) for being so supportive to us in our time of need. You were like a son to them in many ways.
Helen transitioned the morning of July 31, 2022, at 8.30am, surrounded by her loved ones after a battle with vascular disease. God gave Helen eternal rest from the physical pain and wrapped His loving arms around her to usher her home to eternal grace. Her sweet spirit will be missed by so many.
T.L. Hutton Funeral Home
Helen was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She was born to Ida Ruth Bright and William Cedric Adams on June 1, 1948, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. A year later her sister Josie (Elaine) was born.
It was a difficult time during that period and many African Americans were migrating from the south for a better life. Ida set a plan in place for her family to do the same, leaving Helen and Elaine in the caring hands of their Grandaunt Mittie Ward in Wilson, NC, who was really like a grandmother to both. With her children in good hands, Ida headed north to prepare a new foundation for her family. Once set, the sisters joined their mother in Philadelphia, PA where they attended school before relocating to Newark, NJ. It was there where Helen dipped her toes in the modeling world ripping the runways.
This was a good thing, as Newark NJ is where Helen met the love of her life, Joseph Underwood, an active Naval serviceman. Helen was 18 and Joseph was 24. It was love at first sight. Within a year they were married on November 11, 1966.
Helen settled right into to the military life raising 2 children: Kim and Terrace and created a loving family environment. The family was deployed to many places up and down the Northeast with their final destination being Willingboro, NJ. Within that time, Helen earned an Associates Degree in Business from Rider University and went on to work for TransAmerica Delaval for over 25 years as a Sales and Service Specialist; her duties included ordering submarine parts and the like for the US Government. She was actively involved in many of the company's projects including their annual picnic.
No matter their place of residence, family members from both sides, would travel far and wide to visit Joseph and Helen and vice versa. Without fail, every summer, the Underwoods would pack up the car to visit family in the south.
Helen had a wonderful flair for home decorating, upholstery, photography and dollmaking. She created custom holiday tree bulbs, African American Raggedy Ann dolls, and photo collages amongst other things. It was rare that she didn't have a camera in her hand asking all to smile especially during family functions. She also had a culinary flare in the kitchen, making soul food egg rolls, potato salad, and her infamous macaroni and cheese, which was always a crowd favorite. Grilling in the backyard or at the Willingboro Jazz Festival became one of her and the family's yearly traditions.
Helen's grandchildren were her heart and joy. There's no denying her grandbabies, as she called them, were the people that she loved the most. Time spent at Nannie's house was very special to her. It's incredibly difficult to sum up the impact and influence Helen had on those around her, but each individual knows how she impacted their life. Close your eyes and picture her, you will see a vibrant woman, running, jumping, smiling, dancing and never sitting still. She went out of her way to help family and friends without fail.
Left to cherish her memory are her children; Kim Underwood & Terrace Underwood; a niece who was like a daughter, Valaria Adams-Johnson; three grandchildren; Daeshon Underwood (fiancée-Magdalena Biesczcad), Terrace Underwood, Jr; and Mikayla Underwood; two sisters, Josie Elaine Adams (husband Bobby) and Jacqueline Farmer (husband Richard); brother and sister inlaw SJ Underwood (wife Lavern) and Mrs. Mozelle Underwood-Williams (husband Ted) and a multitude of other family and friends. The family would like to send a special thank you to Darryl Roberts (nephew) for being so supportive to us in our time of need. You were like a son to them in many ways.
Helen transitioned the morning of July 31, 2022, at 8.30am, surrounded by her loved ones after a battle with vascular disease. God gave Helen eternal rest from the physical pain and wrapped His loving arms around her to usher her home to eternal grace. Her sweet spirit will be missed by so many.
T.L. Hutton Funeral Home
It was a difficult time during that period and many African Americans were migrating from the south for a better life. Ida set a plan in place for her family to do the same, leaving Helen and Elaine in the caring hands of their Grandaunt Mittie Ward in Wilson, NC, who was really like a grandmother to both. With her children in good hands, Ida headed north to prepare a new foundation for her family. Once set, the sisters joined their mother in Philadelphia, PA where they attended school before relocating to Newark, NJ. It was there where Helen dipped her toes in the modeling world ripping the runways.
This was a good thing, as Newark NJ is where Helen met the love of her life, Joseph Underwood, an active Naval serviceman. Helen was 18 and Joseph was 24. It was love at first sight. Within a year they were married on November 11, 1966.
Helen settled right into to the military life raising 2 children: Kim and Terrace and created a loving family environment. The family was deployed to many places up and down the Northeast with their final destination being Willingboro, NJ. Within that time, Helen earned an Associates Degree in Business from Rider University and went on to work for TransAmerica Delaval for over 25 years as a Sales and Service Specialist; her duties included ordering submarine parts and the like for the US Government. She was actively involved in many of the company's projects including their annual picnic.
No matter their place of residence, family members from both sides, would travel far and wide to visit Joseph and Helen and vice versa. Without fail, every summer, the Underwoods would pack up the car to visit family in the south.
Helen had a wonderful flair for home decorating, upholstery, photography and dollmaking. She created custom holiday tree bulbs, African American Raggedy Ann dolls, and photo collages amongst other things. It was rare that she didn't have a camera in her hand asking all to smile especially during family functions. She also had a culinary flare in the kitchen, making soul food egg rolls, potato salad, and her infamous macaroni and cheese, which was always a crowd favorite. Grilling in the backyard or at the Willingboro Jazz Festival became one of her and the family's yearly traditions.
Helen's grandchildren were her heart and joy. There's no denying her grandbabies, as she called them, were the people that she loved the most. Time spent at Nannie's house was very special to her. It's incredibly difficult to sum up the impact and influence Helen had on those around her, but each individual knows how she impacted their life. Close your eyes and picture her, you will see a vibrant woman, running, jumping, smiling, dancing and never sitting still. She went out of her way to help family and friends without fail.
Left to cherish her memory are her children; Kim Underwood & Terrace Underwood; a niece who was like a daughter, Valaria Adams-Johnson; three grandchildren; Daeshon Underwood (fiancée-Magdalena Biesczcad), Terrace Underwood, Jr; and Mikayla Underwood; two sisters, Josie Elaine Adams (husband Bobby) and Jacqueline Farmer (husband Richard); brother and sister inlaw SJ Underwood (wife Lavern) and Mrs. Mozelle Underwood-Williams (husband Ted) and a multitude of other family and friends. The family would like to send a special thank you to Darryl Roberts (nephew) for being so supportive to us in our time of need. You were like a son to them in many ways.
Helen transitioned the morning of July 31, 2022, at 8.30am, surrounded by her loved ones after a battle with vascular disease. God gave Helen eternal rest from the physical pain and wrapped His loving arms around her to usher her home to eternal grace. Her sweet spirit will be missed by so many.
T.L. Hutton Funeral Home
Gravesite Details
Date of interment August 11, 2022
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