Clarence Upshaw

Mr. Clarence Upshaw, 82, of Schaumburg, Illinois. Clarence was preceded in death by his devoted wife, Clady Mae Upshaw; his beloved son, Altorea “Al” Upshaw, affectionately known as his “can-do-anything” son; four sisters, Lucille Upshaw, Velma Upshaw, Aimmie Doctor, and Leona Upshaw; and two brothers, Melvin Upshaw and Anderson Upshaw Jr. He leaves to cherish his memory his devoted daughter, Anissa (Vito) Upshaw-Lanotte of Chicago, Illinois; three sisters, Clarice Parker (his twin), Kathy (Bobby) White, both of Eufaula, Alabama, and Bernice Gillard of Pensacola, Florida; two brothers, Odell Upshaw of Eufaula, Alabama, and Noble (Brenda) Upshaw of Rochester, New York; four grandsons, Altorea Jr., Jalen, LaMarr, and Kamarrie; one granddaughter, Nina; one great grandson, Cyal and a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Clarence grew up in Alabama, and in the late 1960s, he began working for Ford Motor Company, eventually relocating his small family to Detroit, Michigan. Known for an extraordinary work ethic, he dedicated 47 years to Ford without missing a single day of work. In his free time, Clarence enjoyed working on cars, tending to a garden the size of a small farm, and savoring his favorite foods—watermelon, barbecue, collard greens, and beans. A simple man at heart, he deeply adored his family. He loved listening to music from the 1950s and watching old western movies. He was famous for driving from Detroit straight through to Alabama without stopping, except for gas. He often joked, “There was fire coming from the pipes on my Harley!”—to which Al and Anissa would reply, “No Dad, that was the police lights in your rearview mirror because you were pushing 85!” Friends often described Clarence as the happiest man they knew—always smiling and proudly showing his signature gold tooth. His life was forever changed after a life-altering stroke in May 2023, but the love he gave, his sarcastic attitude and the memories he created - will remain forever Visitation will be Saturday, January 3, 2026 from 10:00 A.M. to 12 Noon, his funeral service will begin at 12 Noon at Morizzo Funeral Home, 2550 Hassell Road, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, 60169. The family has created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories, photos, and videos. For those of you that would have attended services and would like to express your condolences please click on the "Share A Memory" link above and you can leave a message. If you wish to send a Sympathy Card, please feel free to send it to Morizzo Funeral Home, 2550 Hassell Road, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, 60169 c/o the Family; we will gladly forward it on to the family. For further information please contact the Morizzo Funeral Directors at 847.752.6444. Arrangements entrusted to Morizzo Funeral Home and Cremation Services, at 2550 West Hassell Road, (Northeast corner at Barrington Road), Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60169.

Clarence Upshaw

September 6, 1943 - December 25, 2025