Richard David Upham's Obituary
Richard D. Upham, 89, of Fort Myers, Florida, passed away October 30, 2011.?áHe was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts in 1922; the son of Roy A. and Florence B. Upham.?áHe graduated from Fitchburg High School in 1940 and attended Wentworth Institute in Boston, Mass. During World War II he flew 35 missions in combat, commanding a B-17 heavy bomber while based in Foggia, Italy.?áHis missions took him over southern Germany, Austria and Yugoslavia.?áHe was awarded the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal, the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he joined Eastern Air Lines and flew as Captain for 36 years.?áHe flew twelve different types of aircraft with the air line and retired in 1982 with over thirty thousand hours in the air.?áDuring this period he resided in Ridgewood, Ho-Ho-Kus, Westwood and Woodcliff Lake in New Jersey and Fort Myers, Florida. Upon moving to Fort Myers Beach, Florida in 1982, he became active in the Masonic and Shrine activities and served as Worshipful Master of the Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge #362 and as Worthy Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star Chapter #299 of Fort Myers Beach in 1986.?áHe was a member of the Valley of Fort Myers Scottish Rite and Araba Shrine Temple in Fort Myers, Oriental Band Unit.?áHe served as President of the Bonita Springs High-Twelve Club in 1987 and the Fort Myers Beach High-Twelve Club in 1988, the Fort Myers Beach Shrine Club in 1989 and the Fort Myers Chapter of the National Sojourners in 1993. He was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Retired Eastern Pilots Association, the?áEastern Airlines Retirees Association, the 32nd Bomb Squadron Veterans and the Upham Family Society of Melrose, Mass. He is preceded in death by his wife, Catherine B. ?Ç£Bunny?Ç¥ Upham in 2003.?áHe had a daughter Jill Kennedy and three step-sons, Walter R. Jahn of Springtown, TX, Raymond Jahn of Warwick, NY and Peter Jahn of Enola, PA; also several nieces, a nephew and grandchildren. Arrangements are being handled by Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.?áCondolences may be left online at www.fortmyersmemorial.com.?áDonations in his memory may be made to Araba Shrine Temple, Transportation Fund at 2010 Hanson Street, Fort Myers, Florida 33901 and/or St. Vincent DePaul Society 11799 S. Cleveland Ave. Fort Myers, Florida 33907.
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