Abraham Jerome Underhill

Family/Spouse: Katie Munn. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Timothy + Cheryl Lynn Lasbury. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Honours: Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry
• Military Service: Mannheim, Germany; US Army
• Occupation: From 1965 to 2000, Kokomo, Howard, Indiana, USA; Dentist

Notes:

Died:
Dr. Richard Lee "Doc" Lasbury, retired longtime Kokomo dentist and community supporter, passed away at the age of 87 on the morning of October 21, 2022 in the Kokomo home he shared with his wife of sixty-one years, Betty Jean. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Edwin C. (1969) and Zoa Berenice (1989) Lasbury, as well as by his brothers Charles Edwin (2003) and Thomas J. (2004).

Richard is survived by wife Betty Jean, daughter Cheryl Underhill (Tim), and sons Mark (Lori) and David (Laurie). Doc also had seven grandchildren - Abraham Underhill (Katie), Alexandra Afriat (Eden), Noah Underhill, Anna Lasbury, Aaron Lasbury, Amelia Lasbury, and Walker Lasbury.

Richard was born in Hammond Indiana on March 05, 1934, graduated from Hammond High School in 1952, and was stationed in Mannheim, Germany after enlisting in the US Army. After separating from the armed forces in 1955, he graduated from Indiana University - Bloomington in 1958, married Betty Jean in 1961, and then graduated from the IU School of Dentistry in 1965. Dr. Lasbury opened his practice in Kokomo, serving the community for 34 years before retiring in 2000 as a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.

Dr. Lasbury was deeply involved with his community and his family. He was an avid athlete, competing in local and national racquetball tournaments, triathlons, marathon races, and 100+ mile bicycle tours with members of his family, as well as participating in the National Sr. Olympics for several years. The family followed IU sports fanatically as a member of the Hoosier Hundred and President's Circle Award winner, and supported the IU-Kokomo athletic campus expansion in the 2010s.

Richard and Betty Jean traveled extensively, visiting more than two dozen countries on five continents. His travels coincided with much of his ardent reading, especially as a student and fan of Winston Churchill and as a member of the International Churchill Society. Finally, Lasbury supported educational opportunities for individuals and groups, from elementary school through university. He was very pleased with the efforts of the Taylor High School Robo-Titans who he helped fund in the 2000s.

Dr. Lasbury will be missed by his family, former patients and employees, his friends in both athletics and the Kokomo community, and by all who knew him.

Friends are invited to visit with the family from 11 am to 1 pm Monday November 14, 2022, at Grace United Methodist Church, 219 West Mulberry Street, Kokomo, IN 46901. Memorial service will be held at 1 pm on Monday November 14, 2022, with Pastor Greg Reed officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Kathleen Ligocki International Studies Program, IU Foundation P.O. Box 6460 Indianapolis, IN 46206. All gifts will support international travel at IU Kokomo. Gifts can also be made at give.iu.edu. Arrangements have been entrusted to Shirley & Stout Funeral Home & Crematory. Messages of condolence may be left online at www.shirleyandstout.com.

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New knees, new hips, new pipes: Lasbury still on the go
By Pedro Velazco
Kokomo Tribune sportswriter
Published: August 24, 2009 11:32 pm

Richard "Doc" Lasbury had his left and right hips replaced 24 years ago. In 2003, he had heart bypass surgery. Three years ago, he had his knees replaced.

Recently, the 74-year-old retired dentist thought about slowing down.

Specifically, he thought about that when he was about four-fifths of the way through a trip to Bloomington, going downhill at 32 miles an hour.

He wasn't in a car.

He was riding a bike, speeding down Ind. 37 near Martinsville.

"I'd never ridden it before and me going downhill 32 miles an hour on a bike, not knowing what's ahead of you, it's kind of dumb really," Lasbury admitted.

That was his top speed on a recent bike trip from Kokomo to Bloomington that took a little over nine hours, including a pair of stops to eat. Earlier in life, it was a routine trek that he had made a total of 25 times. He liked to embark on that trip once a year, but he hadn't ridden to Bloomington in 19 years.

"I rode it for 15 years straight, for the first 15 years I did it down and back, and the last few I just went down," Lasbury said. "I knew what I was getting into [with the trip], but I was a lot younger then.

"The reason I did it now is I've had two hip replacements and two knee replacements and four bypasses. I thought it'd be significant if I could do it one more time. Maybe people that have bypasses, that have hips and knees [replaced] - maybe they won't be afraid to try something.

"I'm 74 and I pulled it off, and really, it went very smoothly."

He was worried that the length of the trip might take a toll, but rather he felt fresh enough the following day to go to the gym.

"Really, I felt great the next day - and I wasn't sore," Lasbury said.

"I was happy with my accomplishment. I can say that. At 74, I was sure I could do it, but there's always a little doubt if you're going to cramp up or are going to have some kind of a physical problem. But as it turned out, it was just like I was 45 again."

Despite his hip replacements, bypass procedure and knee replacements, Lasbury has stayed physically active even after retiring from his practice. Yet training for the trip was a new level. He began training in May and dropped 22 pounds, going from 220 to 198 pounds through a combination of diet and his riding.

To get prepared for the trip to Bloomington, Lasbury started with smaller trips locally, then expanded his range.

"I've been riding like crazy," he said prior to his trip. "The longest ride I've had so far [in early August] is 52 miles and my training route is to go to Tipton and back, which is 30 [miles], or to go to Cicero and back, which is 52. My short ride is to Greentown and back. I know where the dogs are and where the ruts in the road are."

Once he was close to his departure date, he rode to Indianapolis and back to test out his plan, and familiarize himself with the shoulder of U.S. 31.

Lasbury trained with friends Jerry Maden, Bobby Irwin and Rev. Kim Drake though none was able to make the trip with him due to schedule conflicts with his trip date. Originally, Lasbury had hoped to make the trip to coincide with an IU football game, but he moved his schedule up because he wanted to make the trip prior to taking a fall class at IU Kokomo.

So instead of riding with his training partners, a friend from Muncie, Tim Underhill, came over to Kokomo and he and Lasbury set out at 6:35 a.m.

They took U.S. 31 toward Indianapolis to 116th St., then picked their way through Indy's northern suburbs, through Indianapolis and down to S.R. 37 toward Bloomington. They rested for about 45 minutes each on stops for breakfast and lunch.

The trip ended at 3:55 in the afternoon at a restaurant in Bloomington where Lasbury's wife picked him up for the trip back home.

Lasbury used to love playing racquetball and ran a lot, but has had to change his exercise habits to lessen pressure on his joints. Biking on the other hand, feels good at any age. As a result, the trek to Bloomington was well within range.

"A lot of people don't think they can do it when they get older," he said. "The truth is, you can if you choose to."

When he started training it was for a one-time renewal of an adventure, but the biking thing is sticking.

"Oh yeah, I rode today," Lasbury said. "There's a group of us that're going to ride over to Lafayette for Purdue's first home game."

He'll make that trip Sept. 5 with Maden, Irwin and some others. The rest will make a day of it, but that's where Lasbury's participation ends.

"They're going to the game, but I don't ... " he said. "I go to Indiana games."

Richard + Betty Jean Converse. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FindaGrave ID: 17355501
• Occupation: Agent / State Farm Insurance Company
• Occupation: Oil Company employee

Notes:

Died:
Edwin Charles Lasbury, 58, of Hammond, Ind., died at 3 a.m. today at a Hammond hospital where he had been ill for the past year.

Mr. Lasbury, a retired oil company employee, formerly resided in Wood River. He moved to Indian in 1932.

Mr. Lasbury attended Wood River Schools and was active in the Masonic lodge in Hammond.

Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Beatrice Lasbury, nee Thomae; his mother, Mrs. Alice Lasbury, nee McFetridge, of East Alton; three sons, the Rev. Charles Edwin Lasbury, Jr. of Salisbury, Md.; Dr. Richard Lee Lasbury of Kokomo, Ind.; and Thomas John Lasbury of Hammond, Ind.; and two brothers, William Lasbury of Wheeling, WV and Lester Lasbury of Wood River; five sisters, Mrs. Dorothy Considine of Edwardsville; Mrs. Mildred Evans of Wilmington, Del.; Mrs. Beatrice Huber of Meadowbrook; Mrs. Ada Goodman of East Alton; and Mrs. Alice Dvorchak of Wood River; and six grandchildren.

Mr. Lasbury was preceded in death by his father Edwin Woodside Lasbury and brother Thomas Edwin Lasbury.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the 1st Methodist Church in Hammond, Ind. Friends may call after 2 p.m. Thursday at the Emmerling-Paddock Funeral Home in Hammond.

Edwin married Zoa Berenice Thomae on 12 Apr 1929. Zoa (daughter of Charles Alvin Thomae and Bessie Mable Green) was born on 3 Jul 1912 in East Alton, Madison, Illinois, USA; died on 30 May 1989 in Munster, Lake, Indiana, USA; was buried in Hammond, Lake, Indiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FindaGrave ID: 17361841

Notes:

Died:
Lasbury, Z. Bernice - age 76 of Munster, passed away Tuesday, May 30, 1989 at Munster Community Hospital. Survivors: three sons, Thomas J. (Sarah) of Munster, Dr. Richard L. (Betty) Lasbury of Kokomo, Indiana, and Rev. C. Edwin (Kayleen) Lasbury of Wilmington, Delaware; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband, Edwin C. Lasbury.

A service of remembrance will be conducted by the McCoy Funeral Chapel at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, June 10, at the First United Methodist Church, 6635 Hohman Avenue, Hammond, with Pastor David Schramm officiating. There will be no hours of visitation.

Mrs. Lasbury was a lifetime member of the First United Methodist Church, Hammond; the Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America, Awalim Court #9, the Order of Easter Star Hammond Chapter. An expression of sympathy may be give to the Organ Fund of her church.