Robert D. Uphouse

Obituary of Robert D. Uphouse
Robert Uphouse passed away peacefully in his sleep Oct. 25, 2023. A forty-year resident of Venice, Bob was born in 1920 in Michigan, when Woodrow Wilson was president. He lived through the roaring twenties, the great depression, the dust bowl and the New Deal. Working on one of Henry Ford's farms earned him a job in a Ford factory as an upholsterer.
Inducted into the army, January 1942, he was stationed in England and Scotland. As a forward observer/ radio operator for Battery C 106th Sep CA BN, he campaigned in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Southern France and Germany. He was awarded the Purple Heart and honorably discharged in 1945.
Returning to Michigan, Robert married his sweetheart, Mary. They were married for 72 years; separated only by her death in 2017. They are survived by their three children, Richard, Michael, and Sally, and three grandchildren: Michael, Charles, and Jon.
In the late 1940's, Robert was one of the first hourly workers the union allowed to resign from the union and become a salaried employee of Ford. He managed vendor accounts and later trained aspiring executives. He retired from Ford in 1980 with 42 years of service.
Bob was active in the Boy Scouts and later with the Elks. He enjoyed the Red Wings, traveling and dancing and socializing with neighbors and friends. Robert and Mary retired to Florida in 1983.
May we all live so long and so well.
Burial will be private at Sarasota National Cemetery.
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