Source: NC AGRIBUSINESS COUNCIL, 10/24/15

George Philmore Upton, Jr,  age 81 of Clinton, died Saturday morning at home with his daughter after battling Parkinson's Disease for many years.  Mr. Upton was born July 15, 1934 in Asheboro, NC, the son of the late George Philmore Upton Sr. and Aleze Walton Upton, and was raised in Randleman, NC. 

Upton received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from North Carolina State College (now NCSU) in 1956.  A year after coming to Clinton, Upton married his high school sweetheart, Mary Talley Upton, also of Randleman on June 22, 1957 and together they raised a family in Clinton. 

Upton began a 52-year career with the NC Cooperative Extension as a 4-H agent, and after completing military service with the US Army, he returned as the Sampson County livestock agent – a position that he held until 1998, when Upton became the Sampson County Extension Director, serving until his retirement in 2008. During his career, Upton received numerous local, state and national awards including being inducted into the Sampson County Hall of Fame, the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Pork Hall of Fame. In 2004, Upton was awarded by the Governor of North Carolina with the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine award.

Upton was very active in Sampson County – volunteering for big community projects.  He served as a founding member of the Sampson County Livestock Association, the Sampson County Pork Expo Committee, the Sampson Friends of Agriculture, and the Sampson County History Museum.  In recognition of Upton’s timeless commitment to his community, in 1995, the Sampson County Commissioners named the new livestock facility the George P. Upton Jr, Show and Sales Arena and in 2007, the new Cooperative Extension office in Sampson County was also named the George P. Upton Jr. facility.  

In addition to his parents, Upton is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Talley Upton and their son, George Philmore “Phil” Upton, III. Upton is survived by his daughter and son in law Erica and Terry Peterson of Vass, NC; a sister and her husband Janice & Dewey Gaines of Randleman, NC; 2 nieces – Teresa Moran: Melissa and her husband Dalen Riddle and 3 great-nephews – Cody Moran, Adam and Jake Riddle.

Upton was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church of Clinton and friends and family are invited to gather for a memorial service at First United Methodist Church in Clinton, NC at 2PM on Saturday, October 31 with Pastor T.R. Miller officiating.  A private burial service for immediate family will be held on a different date at the family plot in the Springvale Cemetery.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, any donations and memorials be given to the Sampson County History Museum (313 Lisbon Street, Clinton NC 28328) the NC Children’s Home Society (P.O. Box 14608, Greensboro, NC 27415) or the George Upton, Jr. Livestock Endowment for Sampson County (NCSU Box 7645, Raleigh NC 27695-7645). Crumpler Honeycutt Funeral Home in Clinton is serving the family, online condolences may be offered at www.crumpler-honeycutt.com.