Kelly Upham-Torosian

How do you put into words a life so full of love for family? A life so full of passion and conviction for the unrepresented and undervalued? How do you put into words the love of a woman who had so much wisdom to share with others, compassion, and drive?

The words we are looking for represent Kelly Upham-Torosian, fiance to one, mother of three, grandmother of thirteen, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend. She died unexpectedly on July 17, 2022, after a brief illness.

She touched the hearts of all those that she met, whether it be in love, friendship or through her work over the years. She was a dedicated advocate in her work for children through her time with Area Homemakers and as a volunteer for CASA. She worked as a committed advocate for IBEW 2320 and the AFL-CIO, where she spent her time helping others, protecting their rights, organizing, and trying implement changes that helped her fellow union members.

She was fierce and protective, a mama bear to the extreme, and always willing to help her children, be there for them with emotional support, visits or babysitting her many grandchildren. She had a love of spending time with her family and a highlight was her tradition of taking her grandchildren out on a special date for their birthdays to have lunch and then a shopping spree.

She was a loving sister, who spent countless hours with advice, shopping trips and adventures.

She was a protective aunt, once traveling across the country to stay with a niece during an impossible time or teaching others the right things to buy in the store when preparing her masterpiece of annual Thanksgiving dinner for fifty.

She was a loving daughter, who would spend hours with her mom, talking on the phone, going to appointments, shopping, and lunch.

She was a loving partner to her fiance Kevin, whom she had built a beautiful life with.

She was happy and she shared her happiness through her actions, her sense of humor, and her love.

To say she will be missed by all who knew and loved her is an understatement. God only takes the best and she went to her heavenly home far too soon for the likes of those of us she left behind.

She is predeceased by her father, Thomas Upham Sr. She is survived by her fiance, Kevin Gurley, her mother, Mary DeSchuiteneer, her stepmother Grace Upham, her son Jesse Torosian and his partner, Sam Amero, and their children, Brayden, Addison, Cohen and Westin, her daughter Shaina St. Onge and son-in-law Ash, as well as their children, Abigail, Lucas, Joseph, Jacoby, Jewel, Emersyn and Kaisyn, and her daughter Maryssa Brothers, her partner, Patrick Grassey, and Maryssa's children, Wyatt and Paislee. She also leaves behind her brothers, Tom Upham, Scott Upham and Scott's wife Judy, as well as her sisters, Cheri, Cheri's partner Collette Paro, Kristi Petri her husband Curt and Kate Antonowicz. In addition, she leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

The world will not be the same without the beautiful soul of Kelly. Our hearts will be forever changed by the beauty she brought to the world, the way she viewed nature, a funny story shared and her beautiful laugh. She filled our cups and they runneth over.

The family will have a Celebration of Life for Kelly in September, details will be forthcoming online.