David Upchurch Jr.'s Obituary
David Upchurch, Jr. was born on June 28, 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the eldest of two sons to the marriage of David Upchurch, Sr. and Melinda Whiterspoon. Both is brother, Michael A. Upchurch; and stepfather, Robert Buckner; preceded him in death. He was educated in the St. Louis Public School District, graduating from Normandy Senior High School in 1973. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justic from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri in 1979. While attended high school, he met Donna T. Gauda. They were married on September 4, 1976. To this union, three children were born: David Matthew, Daniel Jarrett, and Dana Renae. His parents were followers of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, thus David was born again into the Baptist Christian faith at an early age. As a disciple of Christ, he worshiped at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis for many years. Recently, he attended prayer meetings and Sunday services at Hidden Lake Apartments where he resided. Even after surviving a tragedy that left him an amputee, he was there for anyone who needed a helping hand, providing words of wisdom, gratitude and always pointing to Our Lord. David was loved and respected by all who knew him. David would often refer to his high school years as “the best years of my life.” During those four years, he was involved in numerous extracurricular activities. He played freshman football for the Normandy Vikings team. He was an editor for the school’s newspaper and pinned a story about his future wife, although at the time he had no idea that years later he would marry her. During his senior year, he was voted class treasurer and initiated fundraising activities for homecoming, prom, and graduation. Following graduation, he worked on all the Class of 1973 Normandy Senior High School class reunions. Yet, his most noteworthy accomplishment during high school years was making “forever friends”. These wonderful individuals who stuck with him through thick and thin, visited him when he was ill are here today to celebrate his earthly life. After graduating from university, he worked in law enforcement as a police officer for the St. Louis County Police Department and as a corrections officer for the St. Louis County Department of Justice. For a brief time, he was employed as an insurance agent for Bankers Life Insurance Company.
In the mid-1980s, he changed careers to human services and became a social worker for the Division of Family Services in St. Louis. For many years as a child advocate, he secured safe home environments for abused and neglected children. David was a community safety activist advocating for violence prevention. He volunteered in youth programs, father role support groups, and brotherhood initiatives. As a freelancer for the St. Louis American Newspaper, he wrote articles about the foster care system in St. Louis. He appeared as a guest speaker on a community-focused radio talk show discussing key issues and challenges of the system. Davids’ hobbies included reading, listening to music, and fraternizing with friends. Known for his “gift for gab”, he was a charismatic man who could entertain and hold captive a listener's attention while discussing Black history, politics, and current events. Though his efforts to improve his community were substantial, his greatest legacy would be his unwavering support and devotion to his family. Whether it was taking his children to Disney World, trips to the circus, museums, rodeo, theater, enjoying a football game, or volunteering beside them at a community event, he was there giving his best effort, setting the example, and loving them with every part of his being. His accomplishments are seen and unseen and will be passed down to future generations - This is the essence of a life well-lived. Locked inside many hearts, David will never be forgotten. David was preceded in death by his parents, David Upchruch, Sr., Malinda Witherspoon Buckner; his stepfather, Robert Buckner; and his brother, Michael A. Upchurch (Jaqueline). He is survived by ~ his children, David Matthew, Daniel Jarrett and Dana Renae; his grandchildren ~ David Nicholaus, Immanuel Isaiah and Ruby Emmaus; his sister~ Vernetta; his brothers ~ Robert Earl and John Edward; his nieces ~ Kairee, Janeese, Nichole, Cynthia and Erica; his ex-wife ~ Donna; and many cousins and friends who will cherish his memory.
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