Charles Harry Upton

Charles Harry Upton, age 80, of Fairhope, AL passed away peacefully at home on October 26, 2020 from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Harry was born in Laurel, MS on May 9, 1940 to C. O. Upton and Pearl Smith Upton. He is predeceased by his parents and brother, Phillip Harold Upton. He graduated from Mississippi College (Accounting) and Mississippi State University (MBA). He joined the United States Marine Corps and served his country in the USMC Reserves. Harry met his wife of 57 years, Jackie Johnson Upton, at Mississippi College. During his years there with his lifelong friends, Barry Landrum, Mart McMullan, Billy Wallace, and Ray McPhail, Kelly Allgood, and Ben Curtis, Harry engaged in a wide variety of adventures which infamously included fighting as "The Golden Gloves Champion of Laurel, MS" and wrestling a bear. As adults, this group rounded up rattlesnakes, hunted ducks, and became real-life City Slickers herding cattle in Montana, an experience which was nationally televised on NBC's Saturday Morning. And yet, his fifteen minutes of fame did not end there. Harry once caught a broken baseball bat swung by Atlanta Braves player David Justice. Some say this act saved the child seated in front of him from life-threatening injury__ a story with which he happily agreed. Harry had a successful career in the financial industry, first serving as a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch and then as a managing broker at Paine Webber in Jackson, MS. He was appointed manager of Paine Webber's Atlanta, GA office in 1983. He moved to New York, NY in 1993 to work for Chase Investment Services Corp. where he retired in 2004 as President and COO. At Mississippi College, Harry was honored as Alumnus of the Year in 1984, gave the commencement address in 1999, and was later inducted into the Mississippi College Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Harry bore witness to some of the 20th century's most significant events, sometimes by design, others by chance. On September 11, 2001 from his office window on Manhattan's 45 Water Street, he witnessed the second highjacked plane explode into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. As one of thousands of New Yorkers who fled the city, he made his way to New Jersey by tugboat. Although Harry left Mississippi in the 1980s and became a daily reader of The New York Times, he never truly left his roots. His "Yankee" friends were delighted by his southern manners. And while he grew to love New York's fine cuisine, fried okra and sweet tea were never overlooked on a menu. In his retirement, Harry was happiest when playing silly games or shooting hoops with his grandchildren and the neighborhood kids. Every child who met him adored him, oftentimes ringing the doorbell at dinner time asking if "Mr. Harry could come out and play." He loved racing remote controlled vehicles and winning BB gun competitions, holding fast to the denial of any possibility of cheating. His warm smile, quick wit, and easy laugh drew every person to him. And those lucky enough to gather some light from his warm glow are all the better for it. Cherishing his memory are his wife, Jackie; their son Mark Edward Upton (Holly); daughter Erin Upton Hendricks (Kent); grandchildren Laurel Upton Keller (George), Charles Davis Upton, Kenneth Smith Hendricks, and Walker Montgomery Hendricks; and many beloved in-laws, nieces, and nephews. A service to celebrate Harry’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30 at Fairhope United Methodist Church. The family will receive visitors in the sanctuary at 1:30 p.m. The service will also be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/FairhopeUMChurch. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Harry to ALS of Alabama or to the Caring Ministries of Fairhope United Methodist Church. ARRANGEMENTS BY WOLFE-BAYVIEW FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY, INC. 19698 GREENO RD FAIRHOPE, AL 36532 (251) 990-7775 www.wolfefuneralhomes.com