Michael T. Upshur

"Wittle" | "Mac T 2.0"

October 18, 1974 – April 11, 2026

If you knew Michael T. Upshur, you already know this: he did not do anything halfway. Not work, not love, not a good meal, not a whiskey sour. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michael brought that city's energy with him everywhere he went, including North Carolina, where he put down roots and built a life that was loud in the best possible way.

A proud University of Pennsylvania alumnus, Michael never stopped talking about his time there, and nobody minded, because it shaped the man he became. He went on to build a distinguished career in financial services as a Project Manager, earning a reputation for deep expertise in retirement plans and an attention to detail that bordered on legendary. He was the person in the room who actually understood how it all worked, and who could explain it to anyone who asked.

His greatest source of pride, without question, was his children. Michael was vocal about it, consistent about it, and completely unashamed about it. He believed education was the key that unlocked every door, and he made sure the people he loved knew that, felt that, and had every chance to walk through those doors themselves.

Mike was the scene. Wherever he was, that was where you wanted to be. He loved fine dining, loved a good drink, loved good company, and had an extraordinary gift for making everyone around him feel like they were exactly where they were supposed to be. Those who knew him from his University of Pennsylvania days knew him as Mac T, an alter ego he wore so well it followed him through life and onto more than one license plate, most recently as Mac T 2.0. His circle was wide because he made room for people. Friends became family. That was just how he moved through the world.

One of the things people will say about Michael, again and again, is that he made you feel it. Loved. Safe. Understood. Seen. He took friendship seriously, the way some people take a calling seriously, because for him it was. He did not want anyone in his life to feel alone, especially not in the hard moments. If you were going through something, Michael showed up. Not with the right words necessarily, but with his presence, his loyalty, and a way of reminding you that you mattered. That is a rare thing. He was a rare person.

After losing his beloved sister Mia to a rare cancer, Michael turned grief into action. He became a passionate advocate for cancer research and organ donation, because that was who he was: he could not witness a problem without trying to be part of the solution. On April 15, 2026, in one final, breathtaking act of generosity, Michael donated his organs, giving others the chance at the life he so deeply loved.

He is survived by:

His devoted wife, Theresa; his four children, Tamesha, Tyler, Faith, and Farrah; his mother, Lorraine Upshur; his brother, Marquis Upshur; his God-sister, Alaina McKenna-Yeadon; his father, Michael Webb; his grandmother, Barbara Tillison; his brothers, Sheldon Moultrie and Malik Webb; his sister, Zakia Webb-Smith; and a wide and cherished family of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who were family in every way that counts. He was preceded in death by his sister, Mia, who no doubt met him with open arms.

Mike didn't want sad. He wanted exactly what you're about to do:

show up, raise a glass, tell the stories, and celebrate a life that was really, truly lived.

We love you, Wittle.