Gregory Upchurch

Greg was born in Greenville, North Carolina on October 19, 1962 to Dan and Julie Upchurch. He and his older brother, Gary, grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, where Greg was often found collecting and fixing bicycles and other gadgets. After his brother married and started his family, Greg was lovingly known as “Unc” to his beloved nieces, Allison and Sarah. Greg earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business and Furniture Marketing from High Point University, where he played baseball and was a cheerleader. In 1989, Greg moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he met and married his wife, Tania Upchurch in 1993. He was the manager for Rock’Ola Cafe for many years, where he befriended so many “regulars” and coworkers, who knew Greg as a fun, caring, hardworking man. After nearly 20 years in the restaurant business, and in order to spend more time with his growing family, he decided to switch over into the automotive industry after his fourth child was born. Most recently, Greg worked for Honda in their service department, where he shared laughs and made many friends. Greg and Tania just celebrated 30 years of marriage in 2023, and loved the adventure of their life together, pouring their hearts into raising their four children. In recent years, Greg, with his ability and love for “fixing things” and his “green thumb” partnered with Tania in real estate. Greg affectionately known as Big Greg #13 to his beloved teammates, played his favorite sport, baseball over the course of his life, until just last season. He enjoyed so many other activities, such as fishing, snow skiing, and other outdoor adventures, but especially and most recently, loved playing golf with his 3 boys, Britton, Isaac, and Calloway, and gardening with his daughter, Emily, who was his “Sunshine.” Greg was always known as a friendly, outgoing, and fun loving person, who took pleasure in helping out wherever needed in the community and at his church, Coastal Community Baptist Church and his children’s school, Wilmington Christian Academy. Greg loved to laugh and joke, and “never met a stranger.” Words cannot express what a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, son, and friend Greg was to so many. He will be greatly missed by all.

Greg was preceded in death by his parents, Dan and Julie Upchurch. He is survived by his wife, Tania Upchurch, his four children: Britton Upchurch, Isaac Upchurch, Emily Upchurch, and Calloway Upchurch; his brother, Gary Upchurch and his wife Frances Upchurch, and two nieces, Allison Williams and her husband, Ragan Williams, and their children, Sawyer Williams and Julie Gray Williams and Sarah Payne and her husband Ellis Payne, and their children, Sykes Payne and Liddy Payne.

Greg’s family would be honored to welcome you to visit with them and then join them in celebrating Greg’s life at 2PM on Sunday, February 4th at Coastal Community Baptist Church, 7721 Alexander Road, Wilmington, North Carolina, followed by a Celebration of Life Memorial service at 3PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family would most appreciate donations made in memory of Greg to the ministry, Parakaleo International (Parakaleo.com), where friends, Kevin and Emelie Falde, serve and minister in Haiti.