Obituary: Arthur Reinhold Upgren, Jr., 83, of Middletown

From Doolittle Funeral Services

Arthur Reinhold Upgren, Jr., 83, son of the late Arthur Reinhold Upgren, Sr. and the late Marian (Andrews) Upgren, passed away on January 21, 2017 of heart disease.

He was an astronomer at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT for 34 years, serving both as Director of the Van Vleck Observatory, from 1973 to 1993, and as the John Monroe Van Vleck Professor of Astronomy.

He is survived by his wife, Joan, daughter, Amy, son-in-law, David, and 2 grandchildren.

Arthur grew up in Minneapolis, MN, with short childhood stints in New York City, River Falls, WI and Washington D.C., where he lived during World War II. He wrote 4 popular-press books on astronomy and climate. He was also active in raising awareness of and reducing light pollution, and taught the first-ever college credit course on light pollution.

Prior to teaching at Wesleyan, Arthur worked as a researcher at the U.S. Naval Observatory and as a lecturer at Swarthmore College. He received his Bachelor's degree at the University of Minnesota in 1955, his Master's degree from the University of Michigan in 1958 and his PhD at Case Western Reserve in 1961. He was active in many scientific societies and was a leader in the field of determining the distance to nearby stars.

Arthur loved to travel, read and listen to classical music, and he was an ardent Red Sox and Patriots fan. He was also a strong supporter of many environmental initiatives.

A memorial will be planned in the near future. In lieu of flowers, donations in Arthur's memory may be sent to the National Resource Defense Council, 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011.

To leave online condolences, visit Doolittle Funeral Services here.

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