Bobby Dean Upton

Bobby Dean Upton, 93, passed away at Centerpoint Hospital in Independence, Missouri, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. His mind stayed sharp to the very end, and he worked hard to keep his body strong, continuing his exercises and trips to the gym while caring for Mom until she passed in 2022. In the last few years, his body gradually slowed him down. The loss of his physical strength - and the loss of independence that came along with that - frustrated him. Still, he kept up his daily exercises as much as he could. He often said he was ready to “go home,” ; that was part of his final conversation at the hospital. We know Dad is reunited with Mom now, and they’re undoubtedly catching up on everything she’s missed.

Dad was born on October 1, 1931 to Odes and Doshia Upton in Locust, Missouri (Ozark County). He had four siblings: Gene, Doyn, Ellouese, and Ned. As a young man, he pumped gas at his dad’s service station — a job that taught him how to get his hands dirty and sharpened the mechanical and electrical know-how that would serve him for a lifetime, whether on the job or at home. As his own sons grew up, their conversations were often about ‘how to’ repair or make things work.

He served as a Staff Sergeant in the US Air Force (1951 to 1955), spending time in Southeast Asia during the Korean War. He was part of the 581st Air Resupply and Communications Wing — the only USAF special operations unit at the time organized, trained, and equipped to conduct psychological warfare in the Far East. True to his nature, he didn’t say much about it through the years. In fact, we only learned about this recently as he let a few details slip, and the rest we found tucked away in his files — one more quiet testament to what he carried without needing recognition.

After leaving the USAF, he and a few buddies decided to move to Kansas City. He and his best friend, Gene McCullough, ended up on a double date. Bob met Irene (and reports that he was immediately smitten and was not going to let her get away) and Gene eventually met his future wife Iva. The two couples remained close friends not only at church but with their families who would enjoy many McCullough-Upton evenings with food, games and laughs.

He married Irene Hagen on August 2, 1957. Together they built a solid, loving Christian life for 65 years, raising three children — Debra Sue, Jeffrey Dean, and Brian Douglas.

Dad made his living — and plenty of friends — working for Western Electric as an installer. His sharp, analytical mind and steady hands made him a natural at troubleshooting everything from central office equipment to tangled wires in tight spaces. When AT&T bought Western Electric, he stayed on, and even after retiring in 1983, he kept right on working for various other telecom companies — because slowing down just wasn’t in his nature.

He was not only dad to Deb, Jeff (Lori) and Brian (Karen) but he was especially fond of his role as grandpa to Lucas Tillman (Abby); Marshall Upton (Callie); Natalie Robinette (Cory); Lauren Lehane (Scott); and Cole Upton (Jenna). His favorite title, though, was “Old Poppi” to Remi Jo Robinette and her soon-to-arrive baby brother Boone, who’ll grow up hearing all about him.

He was a solid human and a good Christian man — he served where he could, solved problems, and loved well. He was a deep thinker who loved challenging his mind with crossword puzzles and sudoku; there are still dozens of half-finished puzzles scattered around the house. You could often find him watching old shows like Gunsmoke, his bedside stacked with Christian books — especially on Revelation — and, of course, his Bible close at hand.

We don’t know that he spent much time in phone conversations earlier in life, but since 2022 he became quite the conversationalist — a phone call with Dad meant settling in for at least 60–90 minutes. Those long calls were his way to connect and keep people close, whether they were family, friends, or whoever happened to pick up. We’ll fiercely miss those long rambling conversations — though we admit, we sometimes rolled our eyes during them!

He is preceded in death by his parents; siblings Gene, Doyn, and Ellouese; and, of course, his best girl and sweetheart Irene. He is survived by his brother Ned Upton; his sister-in-law Tansy Upton, his children and their families; and a wide circle of friends who’ll keep him in their hearts.

If you’d like to honor dad, tell us a good story about him. Fix something instead of tossing it. Go to church and read the Bible. Have that extra cup of coffee. And pick up the phone to call someone you’ve been thinking about.

Love, Deb, Jeff, and Brian — who’d give anything for one more long phone call and who recognize that they learned from the best how to fix things, think strategically, love well, and talk for hours.

Visitation will be held Friday, July 18, from 6–8 p.m. at Speaks Suburban Chapel in Independence, Missouri. A private graveside service will follow on July 19. In lieu of flowers, we will have contribution envelopes available at the Visitation to collect donations for City Union Mission.