Obituary: Sharry Underwood, 1922-2022

Sharry Underwood was born in Harrisburg, Pa.,
on Could 4, 1922. Sharry acquired her bachelor’s diploma in theater
from Syracuse College, adopted by her grasp’s diploma in dance
from Texas Girl’s College. A self-proclaimed insurgent, Sharry ran
away from dwelling to pursue her life’s biggest ardour: dance.
Sharry’s talent and devotion to her craft led her to Jacob’s
Pillow within the Berkshires, the place she studied with trendy dance legends
corresponding to Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. Quickly after, Sharry’s
distinctive expertise led her to New York Metropolis, the place she carried out as a
principal dancer on the good Broadway stage in Occasions Sq. and
toured all through america.

One
summer season, Sharry left the bustling streets of New York Metropolis to show
choreography within the Inexperienced Mountain state of Vermont. As destiny would
have it, that very summer season Sharry would meet the love of her life and
great husband, the honorable Vermont supreme courtroom choose Wynn
Underwood. Sharry and Wynn moved to Middlebury, Vt., within the early
Fifties and had been married for 58 years till Wynn’s passing in 2005.

A
trendy girl, notably for the Fifties, Sharry raised 5 kids
whereas persevering with to handle her dynamic dance profession. Sharry frequently
integrated her 5 kids into her imaginative productions,
educating them quite a lot of types from ballroom to trendy ballet.

As
an envoy for Vermont’s dance neighborhood, Sharry additionally labored as
a dance critic for Dance Journal
and The Burlington Free Press.
Ceaseless in her advocacy for the significance of dance, Sharry left an
indelible mark on Vermont’s dance and theater neighborhood. She’s going to
without end be remembered as an important and achieved Vermont dance
pioneer.

At
100 years outdated, Sharry handed away on Thursday, September 22, in
Burlington — a metropolis she grew to deeply cherish. Sharry Underwood is
survived by her beloved kids: Sky Underwood Cardile, Joel Traver
Underwood, Andrea Jones, Darcy Carter and Hillary Underwood.

Sharry
was a lady of motion in each sense of the phrase. With a robust sense
of self and a deep understanding of what was most vital in life,
she by no means wavered in her dedication to be the very best she could possibly be. A
treasured spouse, mom, grandmother, great-grandmother and dancer,
Sharry might be without end beloved, without end missed and by no means forgotten. We
know she is dancing along with her beloved husband among the many stars.