Charles Roland Upshaw

June 20, 1935 - January 2, 2024

Colonel Charles Roland Upshaw, USMC, age 88, of Steilacoom, WA, died on January 2, 2024.

He was born in Magdalena, New Mexico to Thelma L. Reynolds and Charles R. Upshaw. Charles was a Navy Corpsman during the Korean War, a police officer in Blythe, California, and then he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Following three tours in Vietnam, Charles was awarded the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Charles earned a B.A. in history and a master’s degree in financial administration from The George Washington University. After his retirement from the Marine Corps, he worked as a financial administrator at several small, liberal arts colleges. He was delighted to spend his final years living in Steilacoom, WA with its beautiful overlook of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

His family and friends will remember Charles as a devoted Corgi owner and an avid pilot. He is survived by his wife of 58 years Margaret Sayers Upshaw, his daughter Jane Jessen, his son Chad Upshaw, his brother David Barcala and his sisters: Del Johnson, Katherine Reed, and Edna Dunlap. The family will hold private services in Santa Fe, NM in the summer.

Contributions in memory of Charles could be made to Doctors Without Borders, The Humane Society, or The Carter Center.