Cmsgt. Dana Rory Upshaw, Usaf (Ret.)

CMSgt. Dana Rory Upshaw, USAF (Ret.), 70, passed away on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at Houston County Medical Center.

Dana was born on March 28, 1950, to the late Emory Cecil Upshaw, Jr. and Helen Juanita Holt in Atlanta, Georgia. He entered the United States Air Force on April 1, 1969, where he served for over 21 years and attained the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. During his career, Dana served at many locations to include Robins AFB, Georgia; Ubon, Thailand; Andrews AFB, Maryland; Scott AFB, Illinois; and RAF Upper Heyford, England. One of his proudest accomplishments while serving his country was being a member of the Military Airlift Command Air Force One Boeing 747 design team. Many of Chief Upshaw's recommendations were incorporated into the current Air Force One as well as in the hangar at Joint Base Andrews.
Soon after retiring from the Air Force in 1990, Dana and his family moved to Warner Robins, where he founded Dana Golf Incorporated, a custom golf club and club fitting company. Generally regarded as "Professional Clubmaking’s Most Honored Craftsman", Dana received numerous awards for excellence, including the Harvey Penick Award (2002), clubmaking's highest award, and clubmaker of the year from the Professional Clubmaker's Society (1999) and Golf Clubmaker's Association (1997). Dana retired from clubmaking in May 2017.
In addition to his parents, Dana was preceded in death by maternal grandparents, Daniel Briscoe Holt, and Iva Adella (Crabtree) Holt; paternal grandparents, Emory Cecil Upshaw, Sr. and Ruth Roberta (Allen) Upshaw.

Dana is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Janice D. Mackey Upshaw; sons, Martin Anthony (Kristina) of Columbus, Georgia; and Andrew Troy of Georgetown, Texas; sister, Janette Cecile Upshaw of Lilburn, Georgia; brothers, Gerry Chris Upshaw of Evans, Georgia; and Timothy Lucas Upshaw of Raiford, Florida; granddaughter, Autumn Elizabeth Sanford Upshaw; and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be on Monday, October 26, 2020, from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at McCullough Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests memorial donations be given in memory of CMSgt. Dana Rory Upshaw, USAF (Ret.) to American Cancer Society, 804 Cherry St., Ste. A., Macon, Georgia 31201.

McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements.