Jack "Virg" Upshaw Sr. was born on June 20, 1943 to Ms. Viola Dawson and Mr. Moses Upshaw. His hometown was Columbus, Georgia in which he met the love of his life, the late and beloved, Betty Upshaw. They were married for 57 years.
Jack attended elementary schools in the local school districts and went on to attend William H. Spencer High School of Muscogee County School District. His good work ethic and strong sense of pride for his country led him to enlist in the United States Army - later becoming an Airborne Ranger. Jack served with honor and integrity, even as a veteran. Jack and Betty grew their family and after being honorably discharged, they settled in Atlanta, Georgia to raise their 5 children: Kimberly Upshaw-Scott(Robert), Jack Upshaw Jr. (Verlinda), Nathaniel Upshaw(preceded in death), Mia Upshaw-Clay (Nathaniel), and LaTonya Upshaw. After serving his country, Jack entered the workforce and held positions such as General Motors, Eastern Airlines, and Lockheed. He also became and entrepreneur, owning several businesses.
From his beautiful children, Jack was blessed with 10 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. He was definitely a comic and often times used funny sayings to brighten their day. One of those funny gestures was calling them "ugly." To many, being called "ugly" was offensive, but if Jack called you "ugly" then you knew that it was a word of endearment. They will miss walking into whatever room he was in and hearing him say "hey ugly" with one of his many silly faces that he would make.
Fishing was more than just casting a hook into the water, for Jack, it was a way to bond with his family and experience the great outdoors. Further, just as he loved fishing, he equally loved the game of baseball and collecting baseball cards. The Atlanta Braves was his favorite team; he never missed watching a game on the television or getting their game updates from whomever came to visit. Earlier this year, he even had the opportunity to visit their new stadium with his granddaughter, Nickkia.
Like Betty, he attended St. Mark A.M.E. church and found glory in being able to attend Sunday services and gather his family for worship.
Jack leaves to cherish his dearly beloved siblings: Shirley McPherson (Dennis), Patricia Upshaw, Shelby "Butch" Berry, Andre "Ronnie" Upshaw (Ella), James Lewis "Wallace" Upshaw, Beverly "Sista"Upshaw (preceded him in death), and Barbara "Pookie" Duhart, as well as a wealth of other family members, both near and far.
When Betty passed away last year, Jack said at her bedside "you can't live with them, and you can't live without them." With that, may they Rest in Love as their Legacy of Love will live on.
"He ran every base and scored the ultimate home run in Heaven's kingdom."
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