HELEN E. UPPER
CAMDEN………..Helen E. Upper, 94, passed away on Friday, July 24, 2015 in Camden. Born Helen Elizabeth Jones, she was the first child of Helen and Richard Jones of Peabody, Massachusetts, and older sister of Richard Hardy Jones. She was known as Betty.
A graduate of Deering High School in Portland, Betty worked at the Naval Shipyard in Portland during WWII. After the war, she accepted an invitation from a friend to move to New York City, where she joined the Arthur Murray Studios and changed her name to Betty Jeffries. She soon became a top dancer and instructor there and was responsible for training other studio instructors across the U.S. It was even rumored that she drew what has become the iconic Arthur Murray studio logo on a cocktail napkin for Mr. Murray.
Eventually her career led her to Hawaii where she met her future husband, Warren P. Upper, a businessman and yachtsman. They built a house on the windward side of Oahu. Betty commuted daily to the studio and television station where she hosted a show called “DANCETIME”. The ratings for the show were higher than The Jack Benny Show airing at the same time. In the mid 1950’s, she had a son named Richard.
Betty moved after her divorce back to Honolulu from Kailua where she raised her son and continued teaching dance. She then took on a career as an executive secretary which continued until she retired 25 years later.
In the mid 1990’s, Betty returned to Camden to be with her ailing parents, brother, Richard and sister-in-law, Madge. In Camden, Betty became known as Helen Upper. She often referred to her years in Camden as the best years of her life. She truly loved living in Camden, even the winters. She loved her house, her friends, her cats, her volunteer work and entertaining.
In her 94 years, she has touched the lives of many and will be dearly missed.
Surviving is her son, Richard Upper and his wife, Nancy of Los Angeles, CA; sister-in-law, Madge Jones; and nephew Peter Jones. She was predeceased by her brother, Richard Hardy Jones.
There will be no public services and interment will be private and held at the convenience of the family in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Peabody, MA. If desired, memorial gifts may be made to PAWS, P.O. Box 707, Rockport, ME 04856. Condolences may be shared with her family at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain Street, Camden.