Barbara U. Reddy on Thursday October 3, 2024 while a resident of Mennowood Retirement Community, Barbara ended 76 years life and was called home to rest. She is finally at peace with God. Born in 1948 In New Jersey, her childhood was characterized by change. Her father, a Naval officer, was stationed all over the Pacific region. Among many places she lived, the Philippines and Hawaii were the most notable, and Thailand and Laos among the most exotic vacation destinations.
She was very bright with a great coordination and athleticism. She focused her extraordinary energy, skill and self-discipline on succeeding at every assigned task. As an example, she Graduated from Stanford University as a Varsity athlete with an undergraduate degree in Mathematics. As if that was not enough, she acquired two additional mathematics related master’s degrees after that.
As a single mother, Barbara moved, with her two boys, from Hawaii to Hampton Roads to secure a position as an Operation Research Analyst for the US Army. She remained with the Army for over 25 years. Her analytical skills were often stretched as when she worked on the groundbreaking training effectiveness analysis that showed that the most expensive Training device purchased to that time (the M1 Tank Unit Conduct of Fire Trainer) in fact had a return on investment. She showed that those who trained on this device required less training ammunition and fewer field training exercises to sustain established standards of proficiency. This conclusion was not widely popular, but she stood her ground and showed her work to all challengers. In the end her analytics and her recommendations were correct.
Barbara turned this bundle of knowledge and talent on raising two boys. She set high standards and could be a stern task master. She made sure that her children were committed to learning but also to be active in athletic endeavors. This included soccer, bicycle riding and even some backpacking and kayaking. She raised her boys to know the difference between right and wrong. She schooled them at an early age about helping the team succeed. She often leveraged experiences in youth athletics to teach life lessons.
Barbara is preceded in death by her father; Edward Griffin Underhill, Capt. USN and her mother Martha Widmer Underhill. She is survived by her husband Bob, her brother Earl and his wife Kay, her oldest son Eric, his wife Nicole and their four kids Drake, Samantha, Thor, and Rebekah, and her youngest son Ian, his wife Cam and their two kids Anna and Bram.
Services will be held in Virginia with burial in the Historic Easton Cemetery, Easton, Pennsylvania. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.
