Melissa (Missy) Nelson Underwood, born on May 13, 1948, in Chicago, IL, passed away on April 22, 2026, in Murrells Inlet, SC. Missy’s red hair was a visible sign of her passionate and empathetic nature. She loved fiercely and deeply, and no obstacle deterred Missy in her lifelong quest to help those in need – both people and animals.

Missy spent her formative years in Oak Hill, WV, where her parents moved when she was a baby. She graduated from Collins High School in Oak Hill in 1966, where she was a flag twirler who was great with fire batons. Her husband Jerry often said he never talked back to Missy when she had a stick in her hand. She also graduated from Marshall University in Huntington, WV in 1970, with a degree in early childhood education. Missy’s early educational experiences helped her develop an appreciation for kids who thought and learned differently. As a result, she became a teacher who changed her students’ lives.

The five focal points in Missy’s life which defined her were family, friends, children, dogs, and art.

Missy’s life was filled with a wide circle of family and friends whom she cherished. She was the daughter of Robert (Bob) and Mavis (Evans) Nelson, who both predeceased her. Missy was married for 48 years to her devoted husband, Jerry, who cared for her with loyalty and love during the difficult days of her final illness. Their final words to each other were, “I love you.” Together, Missy and Jerry shared their lives with a son, Jacob Underwood of Woodstock, GA, and two daughters - Isabella Patterson of Charleston, SC, and Sara Patterson of St. Simons Island, GA. Missy’s most fervent wish was to become a Mom, and she fulfilled it when her children came into her life and became the great people they were meant to be.

Missy’s sister, Peggy Zulauf, also lives in Murrells Inlet, and she and Missy shared a lot of love and laughter during the past decade. During their early years in Oak Hill, WV, they were best friends, had each other’s backs, and were completely loyal to one another. As good teenage Girl Scouts, Missy and Peggy had the best intentions when they decided to perform a good deed that went a bit awry. They were driving past a local bank during a rainstorm when they noticed the national flag was drenched. They decided to take down the flag and take it home to put it in the dryer. Needless to say, the praise they sought from their father, who was on the bank’s Board of Directors, was not forthcoming when he found out what they had done. Missy is also survived by her brother-in-law, Craig, and Peggy and Craig’s three children, Robert McFarland, Kevin McFarland, and Kate Zulauf.

Missy delighted in her two grandchildren, Spencer Allen and Windson (Baby “Win”) Ramos, Jr. She was looking forward to seeing Win take his first steps.

Missy had a large extended family which included her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Janet and Woody Aurentz of Simpsonville, SC, and their three children, Carey Cummins, Catherine Griffith, and Brodie Patterson. She was proud of Brodie’s service as a medic in the Army. She is also survived by her nephew, Joshua Underwood, of St. Simons Island, GA,and numerous great nieces and great nephews.

Missy adored her friends. To her, ‘good friends are like stars – you don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.”

Missy’s teaching career took her to FL, then to Raleigh County, WV, and finally to Cobb County, GA, where she retired. After she and two friends graduated from college, they decided to drive to FL and stop in the first place where they could all get jobs. That place was Ft. Lauderdale. After five years there, she moved to Raleigh County, WV, where she started the gifted and talented program and met her husband Jerry. She then moved to Cobb County, GA, where she taught in the gifted program for 25 years. She encouraged her students to think critically; and many of them became doctors, lawyers, mathematicians, and scientists.

Missy was a lifelong dog lover and was a vital part of English Springer Spaniel Rescue America (ESRA). She helped rescue hundreds of dogs over a vast swath of the Southeast. She and Jerry adopted five Springers over the years. Garner, their last dog, stayed by Missy’s side during her final days.

Missy was also a gifted artist. She could sketch or paint any subject and was a perfectionist at heart. Her paintings of beach life also reflected her love of the sun, sand, water, and ocean birds. The beach represented all that was good in nature to Missy. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said and Missy believed, “Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air.”

All who knew and loved Missy will sorely miss her, and they will think of her every time they see a sunset as she will now be painting them from Heaven. Her family and friends will hold A Celebration of Life for Missy in Murrells Inlet later this summer.

Cremation Services Direct (843-651-1194) of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is assisting the family with the arrangements.