Margaret Joy Hickman Upham
Margaret Joy Hickman Upham “Joy” passed away Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Austin, Texas. She was born March 20, 1930, in Waynesburg, to Clarence and Mary Hickman. Her father worked as a lineman for the local gas company, and her mother was a schoolteacher. Her family was active in the Presbyterian church in Waynesburg.
She began her life-long passion for singing in high school in Waynesburg. She attended college at Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn., where she not only earned her bachelor’s degree, but met and married her husband, William Kennedy “Ken” Upham, a student in sociology at Maryville from St. Petersburg Beach, Fla., in 1953. At Maryville, Joy sang in the student choir and the acapella choir. After graduation, they moved to Chicago, and both attended McCormick Seminary. She earned her Master’s in Christian Education while her husband earned a Master of Divinity degree.
After graduate school, they moved to Miami, Fla., and Ken pastored Church of the Master. She gave birth to two boys, Bruce Douglas Upham in March of 1956, and Stephen Kirk Upham in February of 1958. Around 1962, they moved the family to Gainesville, Fla., so that Ken could work on a Doctorate degree in Sociology. His dissertation was based on original research he wanted to do in Central America. So, they moved to San Jos, Costa Rica for language school and to do the research.
After returning to Gainesville for the summer, they relocated to College Station, Texas, where Ken was a professor of sociology and agricultural economics for 10 years. Joy and Ken became active in First Presbyterian Church of Bryan, Texas. Joy was also active in the League of Women Voters, the Junior Museum and the AAUW (American Association of University Women). Ken earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Florida while in College Station.
After 10 years in College Station, Ken accepted a position as professor of sociology at UCA – the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark. While in Conway, they became active at First Presbyterian Church for more than 35 years. Eventually they transitioned to Grace Presbyterian Church, where they remained until they moved away. They had many friends from both congregations. While in Conway, Joy became a realtor and was quite successful for several years. However, she was frustrated by the constant need to be showing houses on Sunday and this conflicted with her love for church and singing in the choir, which she did for about 40 years in Conway, so she eventually stopped being a realtor and focused on her volunteer work.
Joy and Ken lived in Conway until 2019, when they moved to Austin, Texas, to be closer to their two sons. Ken had developed increasingly more severe results from Alzheimer’s and was needing some daily assistance, so the couple moved to an assisted living center. Joy continued to make friends wherever they lived. Finally, on July 26, 2020, Ken passed away from Alzheimer’s. They were married for 67 wonderful years.
Joy suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall a few days before Ken passed away. This left her with limited communication and memories, and she had to relearn some basic skills. Her boys visited her regularly (except during the portion of the pandemic when no visitors were allowed). She slowly deteriorated and passed away peacefully due to the consequences of that brain injury.
Joy is survived by her brother, Floyd Hickman; her two sons and their wives, Bruce Upham and wife Tracie Upham, and Stephen Upham and wife Becca Upham; her five grandchildren, Bruce’s boys Joshua Upham, Aaron Upham and Micah Upham, and Steve’s children Krisynda Collins and Taylor Upham; and her two great-grandchildren, the children of Krisynda Collins, Bailey Whitaker and Blair Whitaker.
A joint memorial service for both Joy and Ken will be held in Conway soon.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Grace Presbyterian Church in Conway, Ark., in honor of Joy Upham, at www.gracepresconway.org.
Condolences may be sent to www.harrellfuneralhomes.com.