Upson Joe

Michael Peeling
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March 22, 2010

Octogenarian Joe Upson gives a tour of his workshop where he makes a variety of woodcrafts for fellow senior citizens living in long-term care facilities.

Joe Upson has turned his hobby into a way of giving back city's aging community. Upson who turns 90 near the end of the month has long been making wooden pins figures celebrating the holidays such as and Christmas and giving them to residents of nursing homes and seniors residences`.

He retired from Domtar after five decades, but was inspired to keep his hobby alive when his sister, Maude, went to live at Glen-Stor-Dun Lodge because of Alzheimer's disease. Upson started bringing Maude and her residents gifts he made for them.

''It makes me feel good to do something for them, '' Upson said. "A lot of them don't know their own names, but I get a real kick out of reactions.''

Upson, showing off a wooden flower he made says "this is the kind of thing the old people like.''

His daughter Susan, who helps him keep a house in the city's west end, laughs at the old reference considering his age. The retiree says he loves the work, which is important to him because it can get "tedious. '' Upson said he didn't inherit his love and aptitude for woodworking, he just took to it when he had the opportunity.

When he was younger, Upson made high quality furniture, for his friends and family. Maude was the just the beginning of his crafty gift-giving though Upson's sister-in-law also found herself in a home and the recipient of his wood gifts as well. The other residents soon followed.

Upson's wife, Dorothy Jane, was also a motivator for him to keep busy woodworking after she went to live at Versa Care. He took wood crafts for the residents there to paint in an art class.

Dorothy Jane passed away in 2004, but Upson keeps making pins, cars and figurines, to name a few, to take to six different homes such as Sandfield Place, Parisien Manor, Pare View, Versa Care and the Glen-Stor-Dun lodge.

He has been recognized on a number of occasions by those homes with such accolades as Volunteer of the Year and numerous thank you notes. Upson also has fans at Fullerton's pharmacy on Pitt Street, where he picks up prescriptions. He has taken to giving them examples of his handiwork as well.

"We've sort of adopted him" said employee Adèle Constantineau. "He's really friendly and dedicated to his craft ... He'd do anything for anyone. He's all heart." Lately Upson faces some challenges to continuing his work, including his age, the price of materials and finding the right materials. "I'm getting up there in age.'' Upson said. "I can't do as much as I used to. Finding the pin attachments hasn't proven easy as of late either.

His son in Niagara Falls has been sending them to his father recently because Upson can't find a supplier nearby. Nonetheless, Upson has boxes of pins ready to go for Easter and Halloween.