Dr. Lois Underwood Beach

Dr. Lois Underwood Beach, age 91, a resident of Cleveland, passed away Friday evening at the family residence. Dr. Beach was the daughter of the late Lonnie Mae Gainous Underwood and Reverend James L. Underwood. Her beloved husband of 53 years, Dr. Charles R. Beach, her sister, Mary Blalock and her husband Jerrell Blalock, her brothers, Reverend James Underwood Jr., Joe Underwood, Paul Underwood and his wife Charlene, Dean Underwood, Emanuel V. Underwood, her sister in law, Wanda Underwood and her former son in law, Jerry D. Turner also preceded her in death. Dr. Beach started her teaching career at B. T. S. in Sevierville, Tennessee in 1944. She taught Chemistry at Lee College and became the first female Department Chair. She was the Department Chairwomen of the Department of Natural Science and Mathematics. In 1981 she received her honorary Doctorate of Science at Lee College. In 1988 the Science Building was named for her. In 2006 she received the Honorary Alumnus of the Year at Lee and the Distinguished Educator Award from the Church of God. In 2010 the Science wing of the new Science and Math complex was named for her. Dr. Beach was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Teachers Organization. She retired from Lee University in 1999 and was the longest tenured Professor. She was responsible for seeing that many of her students were accepted into Medical, Dental and Nursing Schools. She was an early advocate for Lee having a nursing program which is now a part the University’s curriculum. Teaching was her love and passion and her students loved and admired her! Dr. Beach was a member of the North Cleveland Church of God.Survivors include her daughter, Sharlinda Beach Turner M. D. of Harrison, Tennessee, her grandchildren, Cindy Turner Shusterman and her husband Tyler of San Francisco, California, Christa Turner of San Rafael, California, her great granddaughter, Estella Mae Shusterman of San Francisco, California, her sisters, Virginia “Ginny” Underwood Peters of Cleveland, Barbara Underwood Withrow and her husband Henry “Wink” Withrow of Charleston, Tennessee, her brothers, David Underwood and his wife Frankie of Kingsport, Tennessee, Samuel Underwood and his wife Wilma of Clarksville, Tennessee, Melvin “Buck” Underwood and his wife Esther of The Villages, Florida and several nieces and nephews also survive.The Remembrance of Life Service will be conducted Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 1:00 from the Dixon Chapel of the North Cleveland Church of God with Pastor Mitch Maloney, Dr. Paul Conn, Reverend Leonard Albert and Esmerelda Lee officiating. Interment will follow in the Hilcrest Memorial Gardens with family serving as pallbearers. The family request in lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to the Lois Beach Science Scholarship or to the Charles and Lois Beach Choral Music Scholarship, C/O Lee University Central Gifts, P. O. Box 3450, Cleveland, Tennessee 37320-3450. The family will receive friends from 11:00 until 1:00 Wednesday at the Dixon Chapel of the North Cleveland Church of God. The North Ocoee Chapel of the Jim Rush Funeral Homes has charge of arrangements. You may share your condolences and your memories with Dr. Beach’s family at www.jimrushfuneralhomes.com.The family would like to invite you to participate in Dr. Beach's Home Going Celebration by watching the service live streamed at http://nccog.org/live.Read Obituary