Silas Carwyn Upton Jr.

Silas Carwyn Upton Jr. was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this man was an outstanding leader. He knew with certainty how he wanted to set priorities in all aspects of his life. He struck those who knew him as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what he expected from his day. Silas was a man who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle.

      Silas was born on September 1, 1946 at Robertson Hospital in Modesto, California. His parents were Silas C and Jetta Mae Upton. Silas was raised in Modesto and Ceres California. Silas was brought up to be reasonable in his actions and was taught to use his intellect wisely. Even at a young age, Silas was credited with having a positive influence on those around him.

      Silas was raised with One sister, Carletta Emitte.

      When it came to academics and school, Silas's organizational skills reaped dividends. He graduated from Grace Davis in Modesto in 1964. He enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was chemistry.

      Silas always seemed on a quest for knowledge. He was able to generalize, summarize and compile information for his classes. Silas was intuitive and mentally alert, seemed to crave the challenge of solving complex problems. He earned his AA at Berkeley.

      Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to Silas. He believed that he should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way he wanted to be treated. Silas also showed a great deal of excitement and appreciation for the accomplishments of his friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Roger Looper and Dennis Neptune. Later in life, he became friends with Jerry Hurwitz, Ray Souther, Ron Ronconi, Paul Lee, Dana James, Michele Minnear, Dana Hall and Beverly Eschenbacher.

      On April 19, 1986 Silas exchanged wedding vows with Francoise L. Lapalme at Church of the Valley of Santa Clara, CA. Francoise was a very important part of his life, and even though he was not overly demonstrative in public others were aware of their mutual devotion. Silas's secret to success was that he always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener.

      Family and children were important to Silas, even if he didn’t always show it. Silas was blessed with 2, Randal and Richard Upton. They were also blessed with 2 grandchildren, Zachary and Rebecca Upton. Silas was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as he did at work. Silas rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, he was subtle and patient in his dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

      At work Silas was viewed as a natural leader. Silas was adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. He was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. He became the Head HVAC instructor at San Jose City College for nearly a decade starting in 1974. After leaving SJCC his primary occupation was in Management. He was employed by Maier Mechanical, Mike Burns, Paragon Mechanical, Silas Upton Professional Services, LSI Logic, Therma Mechanical and Western Allied.

      Not only did Silas find pleasure in pursuing his various hobbies, he also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. His skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. His favorite pursuits were welding, photography, hiking, fishing and reading.

      Politically, Silas was a Democrat.

      Traveling, especially vacations, was something he enjoyed. He liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. He had real talent for developing the perfect itineraries. Favorite vacations included Mazatlan, Mexico, Hawaii, Canada.

      Silas was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Silas's favorites was Cody Lab/Airedale. They were best friends for 8 years.

      When Silas's retirement finally came in 2014. he was well prepared. He had worked out all of the details well in advance and knew exactly what he was going to do. His new life involved relocating to his home, Upton's Utopia in Mariposa, CA. In retirement, he found new pleasure in welding, photography, hiking, reading. Always a well-informed person, Silas enjoyed adding to his wealth of knowledge. Retirement afforded him the time to enjoy that experience and provided one more opportunity to look ahead at what life might offer him.

      Silas passed away on July 11, 2022 at his home in San Jose, CA. Silas fought a brave battle against pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife Francoise, his sister Carletta Emitte of Tulare, his sons and their spouses, Randal Upton and Darlene Faye Jestes, Richard Upton and Angelina Dew Upton, his grandchildren Zachary and Rebecca Upton. Celebration of Life will be held at his home.