GREENSBORO — Mr. Stephen Lumpkin Upson, Jr., 62, peacefully passed away Monday, December 10, 2012, at his Greensboro residence.
He was born to Nancy York and Stephen Lumpkin Upson, Sr. on May 17, 1950 in Greensboro, NC.
Mr. Upson was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro. He devoted his life to practicing the principles of God and living his life according his beliefs. He was a kind, loving man who always cared for his loved ones unconditionally.
He attended Woodberry Forest High School and later graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelors degree in Business and was a member of the Zeta Psi Fraternity. An accomplished businessman and entrepreneur throughout North Carolina, Steve founded and operated numerous companies including Upson and Baker Properties, specializing in real estate development and construction, as well as Upson Properties which focused on property management. His career assisted with the development and shaping of communities across North Carolina including those in Greensboro, Kernersville, Winston-Salem, and Wilmington, NC.
As a compassionate man always focused on giving, he was the President of the Board of Directors of the Salvation Army in Greensboro. His thoughts were always with those before himself and he spent his life helping and lifting up others.
Steve enjoyed traveling and grew up spending summers at Wrightsville Beach which he shared with his sisters, brother, parents and friends and later on in life with his own children and family. The water was always a friend to him and he took comfort there exploring the seas and backwaters in his boat. This exploration more than often led to fishing, of which he was an avid enthusiast. These fishing trips stretched from the seas to the streams and there wasn't a fish he couldn't catch. He shared these experiences with his sons, daughters, and friends and loved passing on his knowledge of the subject. He was an outdoorsman who loved hiking and spending time discovering nature and taking in his surroundings.
Steve was a family man and loved those close to him more than all else. He provided a beautiful life for his children full of happiness, adventure, and experience and will be missed eternally. He is survived by his daughter, Erin Upson Cuevas, her husband, Frank Jose and their three children Sienna Alsina, Jackson Francisco, and Carolina Anne; Stephen Cooke Upson and his daughter Ava Victoria; John Lumpkin Upson; and Anne York Upson.
He is also survived by his sister, Jane Upson Hubbard and her husband Tim of Chapel Hill, NC; his sister, Nancy Upson Kanipe and her husband Robin of Asheville, NC; brother Joe Upson and his wife Janice of Marietta, GA; and brother-in-law John Wright of Banner Elk, NC. He is also the loving uncle to many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Nancy York Upson and Stephen Lumpkin Upson, Sr. and sister Marie Wright.
The family will receive friends at a visitation on Thursday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home located at 515 North Elm Street in Greensboro, NC.
Memorials may be made to the memorial fund of the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, 617 N. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401.
Online condolences may be sent through www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com/
