Mr. Bruce Underwood

He loved radio and his loyal listeners loved him. Ollin Bruce Underwood – the man many consider “the Voice of Guntersville” – passed July 6, 2025, after two years of declining health. He was 87. Bruce grew up in Gadsden and graduated from Gadsden High School. He worked at a radio station in Gadsden and fell in love with it. In 1958, he moved to Guntersville to go to work for the AM station WGSV. His brother, who was nine years older than Bruce, worked in TV in Atlanta and encouraged it. Bruce was a natural on the radio with his smooth voice and quick wit. His early years involved way more than his later morning show did. He actually beat the bushes for news and broke hard-hitting stories. A few times, he was threatened with his house being burned down for things he reported. He moved to the FM station, WTWX, in 1969. It was also about that time he started working a second career in insurance, something he would do for years. He’d do his radio work in the morning, then go to his insurance agency in the afternoons. He was a Farm Bureau agent before going with Cotton States. His daughter Kim King worked with him in insurance for years. Bruce was very much a man of routine, and his daily routine became legendary. He’d go to bed at 5:00 in the afternoon so he could get up at 3:15 in the morning to prepare for his 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. show. Later in life, it took him longer to prepare, and he would get up at 1:15 a.m. He was passionate about his hobby too. He built and flew remote-controlled airplanes. While some RC airplane enthusiasts had their planes professionally built, building the plane and fine tuning the performance was just part of the hobby for Bruce. He won a number of competitions and awards in his hobby and emceed a large remote control airplane event in Las Vegas for years. He was always being asked to emcee something, and Bruce was always willing to help. He emceed Chamber of Commerce banquets, Jaycees’ boat races and was the PA announcer for Guntersville High School football. The Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce honored him with the Chairman’s Cup – a lifetime achievement award – in 2009. He was a member of the Lake City Civitans for more than 50 years, the only club member who was there when the club started and then again when it ended. His wife Jane passed on April 26. They would’ve been married 70 years had she lived until June 6. They dated 14 months before marrying, so they’d been together more than 71 years. Bruce did the Sunday morning welcomes at the Guntersville Church of Christ for years. His faith spilled into his time at Terrace Lake Assisted Living, then Marshall Manor Nursing Home. On his first day at Terrace Lake, Bruce asked the other gentlemen at the “men’s table” there if they would mind if he said grace. He did and pretty soon the ladies asked him to say grace for the entire room as well. The practice continued once he went to Marshall Manor. Bruce was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Underwood, his son, Cass Underwood, his parents, Glen and Victora Underwood, and his brother, Bob Underwood. He is survived by his children, Mike (Pam) Underwood and Kim (Jimmy) King; grandchildren; B.J (Amy) King, Chance (Stephanie) King, Jessyca (Jordan) McDade, Cory (April) King, and six great grandchildren. The funeral service will be Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Guntersville Church of Christ. Burial will at Crestview Cemetery. Visitation was Monday evening from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM and Tuesday from 1:00 PM until Service time at Guntersville Church of Christ. Carr Funeral Home Guntersville assisted the family. Pallbearers will be B.J King, Chance King, Cooper King, Gunnar King, Grady King, Charlie King, Buford Bagwell, and William Morrow. Honorary Pallbearers will be the Guntersville Radio Airplane Club. In Lieu of Flowers the family suggest donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project. https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=10043&ovr_acv_id=5246

Mr. Bruce Underwood

January 28, 1938 - July 6, 2025