Mae Bertha Upperman of Malden, Massachusetts, passed away on September 25, 2024, after an illness of over five years. She was born on May 2, 1937, the daughter of the late Eugene M. and Pearl Griggs Upperman.
Mae earned a BS in Adult Education, Counseling and Physical Therapy at Tufts University and an M. Ed at Boston University. Later she studied Social Policy at Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, with field study in The People’s Republic of China.
Her career included years in community health as a physical therapist, working in homes, the community, and major hospitals. While working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, she combined her health and education backgrounds to build programs for young, severely disabled children. She developed new service models and helped establish statewide interagency systems, policies and networks to serve these children and their parents. This work involved teaching, training teachers and parents, program development, management, and administration.
Mae traveled extensively for pleasure, study, business and mission work. Her destinations included China, England, Scotland, Israel and Haiti. She loved cities, with Boston and Asbury Park, her childhood home, being her favorites.
She was an avid reader, book collector, writer, and artist. Towards the end of her life, she donated her artwork and her extensive collection of books by and about Black Women to the Black Feminist Archives at University of Massachusetts Amherst, and her work and life are featured there. Though children were always a great part of her life, retirement also involved her with her peers – at home at the Heritage House in Malden, Massachusetts, in the community for 20 years volunteering at the Mystic Valley Elder Services, and with a loving church family which included a vibrant corps of seniors.
Throughout her life Mae struggled to develop her mind, body, and soul and was ever grateful to God, her family, her friends, teachers, spiritual guides, church family, doctors, therapists and her longtime psychiatrist, all of whom were deeply important in her life. Most near and dear were her “Heart-Sisters”: Carol Glenn, Dorcas Grigg-Saito, Liling Yang and Jamaican sisters Launa Cooper and Dorothy Berry.
Layperson of the Year 2013. Mae Upperman was selected Layperson of the Year by First Baptist Church of Malden, Massachusetts Council based on the number of nominations she received, and the many reasons cited. Mae joined the church in 2008 and has been very active since day one. She served in the Diaconate as Recording Secretary and Chair of the Board of Christian Mission. She volunteered at the monthly Feeding Ministry, prepared and served lunches to Habitat for Humanity volunteers, and attended the Tuesday Bible study. In addition, she started her second term on the Board for the American Baptist Women’s Ministries of the Judson Association as Coordinator of Personal Development Ministries. Mae also regularly attended the meetings of the ABWM at the association and regional level. Mae was honored during the worship service and catered luncheon on June 2, 2013.
Survivors include her nephews Eugene Marcellus Upperman III and Eric M. Upperman and their mother Elizabeth Upperman. Others are Marc’s wife Towanna Upperman, Eric’s wife Michelle and their children Quincy, Miles and Gavin Bryce. Cousin Lorrie Stratton and God daughter Candace Jackson were among the many whom she loved.
All services are private.