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Dear Skålleagues,
We regret to inform you of the loss of a great Skålleague Jesse Upchurch. He was a founder of the Skål Club of Fort Worth, formed in November 1978. He carried the Skål flag proudly around the world and back for the Fort Worth Club, and serving as President, friend and mentor.
Please find below the obituary prepared by his son Matthew D. Upchurch:
As many of you know, Jesse had a long and storied career in the travel industry. As he wrote in his 2014 autobiography, One Thing Just Led to Another, he remained open to business opportunities throughout his life. And the high point among those endeavors was the purchase of Percival Tours, the precursor to API, which evolved to become Virtuoso. He was an inspiration, not only to me in my career, but to countless others around the world. He had insatiable curiosity and a wonderful sense of humor. He was a charmer, a raconteur, and a man who, as the saying goes, "never met a stranger."
In his more than 50 years in the business, Jesse's endeavors included a yacht charter company, the purchase of both a travel company and a hotel representation operation in Mexico and building the first timeshare in Mexico. When he purchased Percival Tours in 1962, Jesse expanded operations into the South Pacific and the Orient. Finally, his passion for the exotic led him to Africa, where as chairman and CEO of Percival Tours he opened the door for luxury travel. He went on to be the Chairman of the African Travel Association.
Jesse was an early supporter of conservation and a founding member of World Wildlife Fund's 1001 Club. Among other contributions to wildlife, he bought and donated land in Kenya to the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife as a refuge for giraffes, aka Giraffe Manor.
He was a co-founder of the U.S. Tour Operators Association and served as the organization's Chairman, CEO and President. He also held the Chairmanship of the African Travel Association and was recognized by Travel Weekly with a Lifetime Achievement award in 2008. Outside of travel he held the Chairmanship of the Executive Committee of Tandy Corporation for decades and was inducted into the United States Polo Association's Hall of Fame.
Jesse was enormously proud of Virtuoso and had a deep respect for all of you, our valued members, partners and staff. A deep respect for the power of human connection came from him, and he taught many the beauty of the diversity of humanity. The final thought in his autobiography said it best: "I've had a good life. I've had good opportunities. One thing just led to another. And look at what this life turned out to be."
His family has chosen to honor his memory privately and will have celebrations of his life for various communities in the months ahead. Details for in-memoriam gifts will be available soon.
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