THIS IS WCCO 4 NEWS.
A FAMILIAR FACE GONE BUT
NOT FORGOTTEN FROM A LOCAL BAR
SCENE IN MINNEAPOLIS.
HE WAS 6'6", VERY, VERY BIG
BUILT GUY.
HE WAS VERY SCARY LOOKING AT
THE START, COULDN'T HURT A FLY.
WELL, THAT KIND OF BILL
THAT'S NO SURPRISE AROUND UPTON
SPENT YEARS WORKING AS A
BOUNCER IN DORMAN.
WAS A STAPLE AT THE BAR UNTIL
IT CLOSED IN 2009.
AS ANGELA DAVIS DISCOVERED IN
THIS WEEK'S LIFE STORY, RON WAS
A GENTLE GIANT WHOSE BRIEF
ENCOUNTERS LEFT LASTING
IMPRESSIONS.
HE IS THE SWEETEST, MOST
KIND PERSON YOU WILL EVER MEET.
IT'S HARD NOT TO NOTICE A
BIG DUDE WITH A BALD HEAD AND A
LONG WHITE BEARD.
NOT ONLY DID BAR PATRONS NOTICE
RON UPTON AT THE DOOR, CHECKING
I.D.s AND KEEPING THE PEACE,
THEY REALLY LIKED HIM.
HE ENJOYED MEETING PEOPLE.
RON WAS VERY MUCH A PEOPLE
PERSON AND HE WAS A VERY WARM
INDIVIDUAL, VERY CARING, AND HE
HAD THAT CHARISMA AND SO HE GOT
ALONG WITH PEOPLE SO WELL.
Reporter: RON HAD A
REPUTATION FOR BEING ABLE TO
GET FOLKS TO SETTLE DOWN.
RARELY DID HE HAVE TO GET
PHYSICAL.
HE WOULD DO HIS PHYSICAL
STRENGTH AS A LAST RESORT.
JUST HIS SIZE WAS A DETERRENT
SO HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO TOO
MUCH.
Reporter: BARTENDERS SAY RON
SUFFERED FROM CHRONIC BACK PAIN
BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IT.
HE SMILED THROUGH ADVERSITY
AND HE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD
ATTITUDE.
HE WORKED A LOT OF HOURS?
YEAH, YEAH.
AND HE NEVER COMPLAINED.
HE WAS JUST REALLY SWEET
PERSON.
Reporter: HIS HAPPIEST DAYS
WERE SPENT AT THE UPTOWN BAR
WHERE LIVE MUSIC BROUGHT IN A
REGULAR CROWD, JUST BEFORE IT
CLOSED FOR GOOD IN 2009, RON
CHANGED HIS LOOK.
HE BUILT SO MANY
RELATIONSHIPS WITH JUST THAT
LITTLE BIT OF CONTACT AND HE
WAS TRULY AN INCREDIBLE GUY.
Reporter: RON'S DAUGHTER
SAYS HE EMPHASIZED THE VALUE OF
KINDNESS.
TO BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU
HAVE AND MAKE THE BEST OUT OF
EVERYTHING, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY
NOT BE THE MOST GLAMOROUS
LIFESTYLE.
Reporter: HIS PARTING WORDS
TO FOLKS HEADED HOME WERE OFTEN
THE SAME.
WELL, YOU TAKE CARE, DEAR,
AND THAT WAS LITERALLY HOW HE
ALWAYS SAID GOODBYE.
YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE, DEAR.
Reporter: ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO
4 NEWS.
RON UPTON WAS 58 YEARS OLD.
HE DIED OF A BRAIN ANEURYSM
EARLIER THIS MONTH.
A MEMORIAL CONCERT IS TAKING
PLACE THIS SATURDAY AT 4:00
P.M.
AT THE UPTOWN VFW -- I'M SORRY,
THIS SUNDAY AT 4:00 P.M.
AT THE UPTOWN VFW ON LYNDALE
AVENUE.
IF YOU HAVE A LIFE STORY
