Former county court, district judge and Howe High School graduate Steve Underwood dies at 65

KCBD in Lubbock, Texas has reported that former Texas District 364 and Lubbock County Court Judge Brad Underwood, known during his days in Howe as “Steve” died at the age of 65 on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Underwood, a graduate of Howe High School in 1972, North Texas State, Midwestern State and the Texas Tech School of Law, retired from retired as judge of the 364th District Court in 2014 after his appointment in 1989. Prior to that, he was the Judge of the Lubbock County Court at Law No. 2 from 1986 to 1989.

He was the first judge of the 364th District court and after leaving that position he went on to work as a senior judge.

He started his career in 1979 as a law clerk for the Criminal District Attorney’s Office and from 1980 to 1986 served as Lubbock’s assistant criminal district attorney.

He was a past president of the Lubbock County Bar Association and a former member of the Texas Supreme Court Task Force on Foster Care. He was also a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Lubbock County Bar Association.

Underwood worked as a member and director of the Lubbock County Young Lawyers Association and former Director of the Lubbock County Bar Association. He was also a member of the Lubbock Lions Club since 1989.

Underwood also received awards for his charitable work including the One Who Cares Award by KCBD NewsChannel 11 and the Get Involved Award by the Volunteer Center of Lubbock. He also received the Lubbock County Bar Association President’s Commendation for his work on the Bar Association newsletter, the Law Notes.

He is survived by his wife Phyllis, mother Alma, daughter Courtney and granddaughter Lilly, son Jared, brother Tim and wife Mari, and sister Tina and husband Scott.

(Information in this article by KCBD-11 of Lubbock).

From the 1972 Howe Spotlight Yearbook