Upp, longtime aggregate industry leader, dies

Upp

Chris Upp, a longtime aggregate industry leader who spent 27 years at Conco Quarries, died March 15. He was 49.

Upp most recently served Conco as vice president and general manager, and he regularly dedicated himself to elevating the greater industry in leadership positions both nationally and within the state of Missouri. Upp served on several committees and boards for the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, and he was highly visible in the Missouri Limestone Producers Association, which he, at one time, served as president.

Upp graduated in 1996 from the University of Missouri-Rolla, which later became the University of Missouri S&T. His tenure at Conco, however, began a year earlier in an internship role.

Upp regularly lent his voice to the Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference, which he last attended in 2016. Upp, who contributed to Pit & Quarry’s 100th anniversary supplement that same year with an article about the workforce of the future, attended the Roundtable multiple times.

The magazine also featured Upp in 2017, spotlighting him in a P&Q Profile article in which he reflected on his start in the industry and his bout with kidney cancer.

About Chris Upp

Pit & Quarry paid Chris Upp a visit at Conco Quarries in the summer of 2019.

Battling kidney cancer for almost nine years, Upp was an inspiration to those around him. As written in an online tribute celebrating his life: “The average person that didn’t know him wouldn’t have guessed in their wild dreams that Chris was fighting a battle of such weight, but his character and soul was what touched people, not his body. His intelligence, thoughtfulness and strong soul will never be forgotten by the many people that he impacted for 49 years.”

An avid golfer, traveler and fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Upp was preceded in death by his father Dan A. Upp. He is survived by his wife Jill, and his three sons, Nathan, Tristan and Ryan Upp, his mother Gail Upp, his brother Jay Upp (Angela) and his sister Amy Bollinger (Kevin).

Upp is also survived by his in-laws, including his mother-in-law Wanda Robbins, Matt and Sheila Anderson, Mike and Tara Robbins, Jeff and Tonia Robbins, and Dennis and Lezlie Robbins.

As described in the online tribute, Upp cherished his family and had a deep love for his nieces and nephews, who include Evan Anderson, Olivia Anderson, Tori Turner (Andrew), Ashlie Robbins, Dalton Robbins, Torie Hunt (Conner), Kylie Robbins (Haley), Kelsey Clem (Austin), Tino Robbins (Bailey), Brett Herring (Colin), Shane Robbins (Keshia), Micheal Upp, Sam Upp, Grace Upp, Titus Upp, Porter Bollinger and Cooper Bollinger.