Perry Upshaw

Mr. James Perry Upshaw, 67, former employee of Columbia Power System and resident of New Columbia Highway in Lewisburg, died Saturday, April 15, 2006 at Maury Regional Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted Monday at 2:00 p.m. at Oakes & Nichols with Rev. Earl Davis officiating. Burial will be in Polk Memorial Gardens.The family will visit with friends at the funeral home Sunday after 3:00 p.m. concluding with a Masonic Service at 7:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 1212, Columbia 38402 or Godwin-Chappell United Methodist Church. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com. The Maury County native was the son of the late Cecil "Ted" Upshaw and Ella Mai Waters Upshaw. He graduated from Culleoka High School, Columbia State Community College and earned a B.S. Degree from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa with an emphasis in electrical engineering. Mr. Upshaw was a long-time employee of Columbia Power System and at his retirement worked in the engineering department as power distribution engineer. He was a member of Godwin-Chappell United Methodist Church and Pleasant Grove Masonic Lodge #138 and had served as Past Worshipful Master. He remodeled several old homes and built two new homes, taking great pride in doing most of the finish work himself. He also enjoyed working and clearing his farm, gardening and was an avid woodworker. He loved his family and friends dearly and will be greatly missed. Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Nancy E. Church Upshaw of Lewisburg; two daughters, Julie Diane Upshaw Mayse of Hohenwald and Laura Lee (Mike) Gilmer of Columbia; three sons, James Wayne (Heidi) Upshaw of Columbia, David Michael Upshaw of Franklin and Mark Van "Ted" (Kim) Upshaw of Bartlett; two sisters, Faye (Jeff) Anderson of Lewisburg and Connie (Terry) Mapes of Trinity, Alabama; four granddaughters, Christy English of Hohenwald, Brandy (Tim) Boshers of Columbia, Catherine Upshaw of Columbia, and Samantha Upshaw of Bartlett; three grandsons, James Upshaw, John Gilmer and Connor Upshaw, all of Columbia; five great-grandchildren; a niece Mallory Mapes of Murfreesboro; a nephew, Martin Mapes of Trinity, Alabama; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, J. W. and Jane Slaughter of Columbia. Active pallbearers are Billy Pigg, Wayne Park, Odell Sharp, Alfred Wakefield, William Scott, Richard Parks, Alton Walker, Martin Mapes, Jonathon Slaughter, and Jeremy Slaughter. Honorary pallbearers include members of Godwin-Chappell United Methodist Church, members of Maury and Marshall County Masonic Lodges and retired and current employees of Columbia Power System.