Richard T. Upton

Richard Thomas Upton, 94, passed peacefully at his home at Bickford Senior Living in Carmel, Indiana, on April 10, 2025, where he lived with his beloved wife of 71 years, Marjorie Upton.

Richard’s father, Thomas Henry Upton, was a Navy man, and he and Richard’s mother, Irene, were stationed in San Diego, CA, in 1930 when he was born on October 6. Between 1930 and 1947 when he started college, he lived in more than a dozen places, moving with his parents from San Diego to Rural Marion County, GA, and then to Honolulu, HI; Raleigh, NC; Charlotte, NC; Rural Taylor County, GA; Buena Vista, GA; Boston, MA; Brooklyn and Queens boroughs of New York City, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Portsmouth, VA; Norfolk, VA; back to San Diego, CA; and then to St. Paul, MN, where he attended first Bethel College – and where he met Marjorie – and then on to Minneapolis, MN, where he graduated from the University of Minnesota.

After graduating from UMN in 1951 at the age of 20, Richard was accepted by the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. He graduated second in his class with the Degree of Doctor of Medicine in June of 1955. Richard and Marjorie were married September 19, 1953, while Richard was pursuing his MD.

In 1952, Richard applied to and was accepted into The U.S. Navy Medical Corps as an Ensign in training, the first step of his 20+ year Navy career as a physician. Upon graduating from Medical School in June of 1955, he was ordered to active duty as a Medical Intern at U.S, Naval Hospital, Charleston, S.C., and promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade, in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps. While in Charleston completing his rotation on the Obstetrics-Gynecology Service, he was ordered by his Captain to have the honor of delivering his first daughter, Sandra. In August of 1956, Richard was promoted to Lieutenant, Senior Grade and he was transferred to San Diego, CA, where he continued his training as a Medical Officer in the Specialty of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Daughter Nancy was born in San Diego in 1957. In summer of 1960, he received orders to transfer to the US Naval Hospital (USNH) in Yokosuka, Japan, and he and his family sailed for 11 days on a military transport ship to the Port of Yokohama. Son Thomas was born in 1961 at the USNH Yokosuka. That same year, Richard was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and appointed Chief of Dispensary Services at the Medical Dispensary in Yokohama, serving the 300+ military families living in Military Dependent Housing.

Following his return to the United States in September 1963, Richard was assigned to USNH Great Lakes, IL, and served on the OB-GYN Service there until June 1966. Richard was promoted to the rank of Commander and from July 1966 to June 1967 he served a clinical fellowship in the advanced management of gynecologic cancers and attended a postgraduate course at the Tumor Clinic of M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston, TX. In August 1967 he was assigned to the USNH Portsmouth, VA, as the first formally trained Gynecologic Oncologist in the US Navy. His training and experience enabled him to upgrade the quality of medical care provided to GYN cancer patients at this hospital. He actively engaged in several research projects, which culminated in improved procedures and programs in the health care delivery field. In 1971 he was promoted to the rank of Captain and served as the Chief of OB-GYN Services at the USNH Portsmouth until he retired from the Navy in 1975. It was while he lived in Portsmouth that he earned his pilot’s license, with flying being one of his passions for the next 40+ years.

Richard retired from the Navy at the rank of Captain on September 30, 1975, after 24 years of service and took a position with a Clinical Practice in Grand Rapids, MI, specializing in Gynecology and Oncology. He had hospital staff appointments in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at both Butterworth Hospital and Blodgett Memorial Medical Center. In addition, he held an appointment as Professor of Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncologist, in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI). Richard was proud of his skills as a surgeon but wanted to retire while he still had a steady hand and a clear mind with sound judgement. He retired from practice in 1992 at the age of 62. While living in Grand Rapids, Richard and Marjorie were active members of South Kent Baptist Church. Richard also served as a flight instructor with the Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music, helping to train pilots planning to serve as missionaries in remote locations around the world.

Shortly after retiring, Richard and Marjorie moved to Minnesota, where they had met some 50 years prior. They had a house both in Shoreview – a suburb of Minneapolis – as well as Crosslake – a small community on a chain of lakes north of Brainerd, where they had long owned a cabin. While they originally thought their house in Shoreview would be their main residence and Crosslake their “summer” home, they quickly fell in love with the beauty and simplicity of living in northern Minnesota. In 1996, they sold the Shoreview house and made Crosslake their home. Richard and Marjorie loved to host guests in their remodeled home and loved nothing more than to take people out on their pontoon boat to enjoy the lake, ending the day with dinner outside on the picnic table. The loons, the beautiful sunsets, and the innumerable stars on cloudless nights made Crosslake an idyllic place to retire.

Richard and Marjorie were active in their church, including singing in the choir, and they had many friends. Richard also served in an elected position on the Crosslake Zoning Commission for several years. While in Crosslake, Richard became active with the USAF Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol at the rank of Lt. Colonel, continuing his love of flying and flight instruction. Richard and Marge traveled regularly, both around the U.S. and internationally, to visit family and friends. Although Richard retired his scalpel, while in Crosslake he focused his energies on woodworking, crafting many beautiful items including a garden bench, a cradle, multiple quilt racks, and a wide variety of other smaller items for the kitchen and house.

In 2005, Richard and Marjorie decided that the harsh winters and the physical work of maintaining a home with 250 feet of shoreline in the north woods of Minnesota was more than they wanted to deal with, and so they moved to Indianapolis, IN, to be closer to family. Richard continued his involvement with the Civil Air Patrol until 2013, serving in a variety of positions, including Flight Instructor, Mission Pilot, Mission Observer, Mission Scanner and Director of Supply & Logistics. Richard also joined and was active with the Indianapolis Scientech Club for many years, serving for four years as the Program Manager. He continued his woodworking hobby focusing on smaller projects, such as making flower presses, cooling racks, and knick-knack boxes. Richard and Marjorie were active members of Faith Church, part of the Evangelical Free Church of America, in Indianapolis, and both sang in the choir for several years.

In 2021, Richard’s memory began to decline, and he and Marjorie made the move to an assisted living home where they could get more ongoing care. Richard continued to love to sing and listen to music, and he loved even more to have visitors and talk.

Richard became a committed Christian while in high school, and his love for Christ was evident in everything he did and the life he led. He served as a church elder and deacon many times through the years, helped to establish a thriving church while he lived in Japan, enjoyed teaching Sunday School classes with the book of Romans being a favorite topic, and loved signing in choirs and duets with Marjorie. One of his favorite Bible verses is from Isaiah 40: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Along with Marjorie, Richard is survived by his three children – Sandra (James Fallon), Nancy Nethercott, and Thom Upton (Mary); seven grandchildren – Christina Cariello, Elisabeth Fallon, Catherine Howorth, Gabrielle Morris, Naomi Nethercott, Nicholas Upton, and Peter Upton; and four great-grandchildren – Owen, Leighton, and Callum Howorth, and Evelyn Nethercott-Ragonesi.

Memorial Service will be held at Faith Church on Indianapolis on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

Out-of-town guests, please let us know you are coming. servicersv@yahoo.com

Visitation 10:00~10:45

Service 11:00~12:00

9125 N. College Ave.

Indianapolis, IN