Guam - Former senator James Underwood passed away this morning. His niece former senator and GEDA deputy administrator Mana Silva Taijeron confirmed with KUAM that Underwood died at the age of 67.

Underwood, who was from the village of Sinajana, was married to Lagrimas "Alma" Underwood and had a son named James and two stepdaughters named Lisa and Theresa.

He served five consecutive terms as senator in the 13th through the 17th Guam Legislature between 1976 and 1984. Taijeron says Underwood worked on part of the enabling legislation for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Port Authority and the Constitutional Convention along with spearheading the financing of the airport.

He then would work for both former governors Carl Gutierrez and Felix Camacho during their administrations where he worked closely with Public Works, Mental Health, GTA and the Commission on Decolonization. He was also the chief of staff to former senator Elizabeth Barrett Anderson.

Taijeron says people might remember Underwood for being one of the first people to put the cross on Mount Lam Lam for Good Friday and running his parents' store in Hagatna named Marianas Sales and Tendan Nene.

The family is still working on details for the rosaries.