Charles Edward Upton

Charles "Chuck" Edward Upton 1926 - 2011 Chuck Upton, age 84, passed away on July 18th, 2011 surrounded by his family. Chuck was born December 8, 1926 in Alameda, California. He was the only child of Charles Reuben and Annastacia Upton. He attended school in the Oakland area and graduated from Castlemont High School in 1945. He was drafted into the Army in March of the same year. After his discharge from the Army, he attended George Williams College in Chicago, lllinois and graduated in 1951. He married Juanita Stocker of Fairbury, Nebraska the same year. They moved to California where their two daughters, Barbara and Carol and one son, Steven were born. He joined the Presbyterian Church in 1954 and had served as an elder in the church for over 50 years, as well as being a lay pastor and preacher for a number of years. He provided leadership to the small group ministry at the First Presbyterian Church of Twin Falls. Chuck always loved baseball. He played in high school and also in the Army. His junior year of high school, he placed second in the National Hearst Public Speaking Contest. He worked for the YMCA for 29 years. During that time, he spent much of his time camping and hiking, developing a love for the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He worked for the Northside News for 12 years, retiring in 1992. Charles is survived by his children, Barbara (Bruce) Turner, Carol (Alan) Johnson, and Steven (Linda) Upton and his four grandchildren: Zachary Turner, Nicholas Turner, Heather (Brad) Herauf, Gretchen (Allen) Anselmo and two step-grandchildren: Hannah (Cory) Albertson and Mark Golay. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles R. and Annastacia Upton and his wife, Juanita. A Celebration of Chuck's Life will be held Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. at the First Presbyterian Church 209 5th Avenue North, Twin Falls with Pastor Phil Price officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society for Lymphoma Research 2676 S. Vista Ave., Boise, ID 83705. All services and arrangements are under the direction of the Parke's Magic Valley Funeral Home of Twin Falls, Idaho. Those wishing to share condolences may do so at www.magicvalleyfuneralhome.com