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Don Robert Underwood

Rob | Joe Rangus | Elliot

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Sketch for World Trade Center Replacement (2002)

2015-06-16 By knowlengr Leave a Comment

 

DRU-WTC-proposal-letter-p1-200202-332-190It was with an engineer’s “Let’s fix this” kind of thinking that Dad responded to the destruction of the World Trade Center towers with a sketch of his own. Though he would be completely unsurprised to learn that the replacement ultimately did not open until June of 2014, and represented an arduous set of compromises and negotiations, he took seriously the notion that every citizen could participate somehow in forging a suitable design. Though he had little experience with the scale of compromise that was required, or the political wrangling and anguished hand-wringing that ensued, he perhaps unconsciously sent the message that he, or his children, could made a difference even in places far removed from one’s self-important humdrum and bother.
That is, with sufficient persistence and effort.
He succeeded in passing on a work ethic that likely exceeded his own expectations for his children and to this day bedevils the friends and spouses of each of the six of us.

You can read his letter and see his rough sketch.

 

Filed Under: Correspondence, Featured Tagged With: 2000s, 9/11

Meet at Las Margaritas

2015-06-16 By knowlengr Leave a Comment

 

schedule-for-las-margaritas-card-to-billieThis note was sent to Billie at a time when Mark was selling his Phoenix house and reorganizing things for permanent residence in New York. In later years, DRU and Billie were civil at least, and sometimes shared reminiscences. This note makes reference to one of his unexplained absences when Mark was visiting Tucson..

Filed Under: Correspondence, Featured Tagged With: Billie Allen Underwood, Las Margaritas

411 on DRU

Don Robert Underwood

Don Robert, Don, Bob, Joe Rangus, Elliot - take your pick.

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