Sunday, May 21, 2017

REAT UNDERWOOD (MAY 21, 1999 TO APRIL 13, 2014)



            Let us not forget Reat Underwood, every year on May 21 and April 13. We made him one of The 82 murdered children of Unit 1012 and Janusz Korczak’s 190+ children where we will not forget him. Let us remember how he lived on this earth.

 
Reat Underwood
(May 21, 1999 to April 13, 2014)

Mindy Corporon and Gary Underwood welcomed Reat into their world on May 21, 1999 in Norman, Oklahoma. Reat and his mother moved to Overland Park, Kansas in 2000. Len Losen met Reat as an infant and impacted his life as a father figure, mentor and fan.

It was clear that Reat was a natural singer and performer from the age of two when he was reciting Eric Carle books by heart. Reat was a regular at the local theater’s rehearsals and productions while visiting his grandparents, Dr. Bill and Melinda Corporon, back in Duncan, Oklahoma. He performed in his first production at the young age of four, and it wasn’t long after that he began honing his singing and acting craft.

Over the next eleven years, Reat was selected to perform in many school and community theater productions: “Guys & Dolls”, “Damn Yankees”, “Seussical the Musical”, “Of Mice and Mozart”, “Cinderella”, “Wizard of Oz”, “Annie”, “Peter Pan” to name a few. The Kansas City Starlight Theatre Program accepted Reat into their 2014 program “Starlight Stars.” He was also selected for a role in The Theatre in the Park’s 2014 production of “Tom Sawyer”. On April 13th, 2014, Reat was on his way to a KC Superstar audition at the Jewish Community Center.

Singing and performing weren’t Reat’s only passions. He played baseball, basketball and football. In middle school, Reat played violin in the orchestra. As a freshman at Blue Valley High School, Reat excelled at debate. He received a BVHS Letter for participating in seven debate tournaments. He also received the National Forensic League’s Degree of Excellence. Reat was a member of the Freshman Boy’s Chorus and the Enrichment Program. He was a Boy Scout and had attained the rank of Life Scout. Reat was beginning work on his Eagle Scout project.

Active in community organizations, Reat participated in ALS and Juvenile Diabetes Walks, volunteering for Operation Breakthrough and enjoyed volunteering for the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection KIDS-COR program. Lending a hand in the church nursery was his favorite assignment.  In 2011 Reat dedicated his life to Christ at Kanakuk.


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