Jeffery Carney, born in 1950 and raised in Upland, was widely seen as "Mr. Upland" for his constant presence at special events and community gatherings and for the many ways he served the town he loved. A 1968 graduate of Eastbrook High School who lived in Upland for most of his adult life, he served with the Upland Volunteer Fire Department from 1978-1988, belonged to the Upland Lions Club and the Masons, sold concessions at the ballfield, and served at Pierce Church. He also served his country through four years in the U.S. Air Force and 18 years as a reservist at Grissom Air Force Base, and after being hired from among 500 applicants, he worked as a Quality Assurance Inspector for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where his position was created in response to the Challenger explosion and his sole job was to inspect the O-ring seals that had failed in the space shuttle tragedy a few years earlier. After a massive aneurysm, he and his wife returned to Indiana, though he continued to dream of flying to space one day. He married Cindi (Johnson) in 1978, and over 43 years of marriage he was a devoted family man who loved and served his family faithfully, with special love for his daughters and grandchildren and a particular joy in taking his granddaughters to the park after school. Remembered as a humble servant and man of faith whose kindness, smile, optimism, and servant's heart reflected God's love and blessing in his life, he was known as someone whose presence could be counted on and who was always ready to offer a helping hand. He died in November 2021 and is missed by his wife, Cindi, and his daughters, Rachelle and Tiffiney.