Words like “pioneer” and “luminary” sometimes get thrown around a little haphazardly.

But in the case of Mary Chandler Upton and her relation to the promotional products industry, they most surely apply.

Mary Upton passed away at age 77 on her birthday – Sept. 11.

With her honesty, fairness, infectious energy, smarts and vast capabilities, Upton became a vital leader in promotional products industry trade shows for decades. She did so while also earning a reputation as one of the market’s most well-liked and respected people.

Such will be a key part of her impressive legacy following Upton’s passing on Saturday, Sept. 11 – her 77^th birthday. Upton had been battling cancer, friends say.

“My mom, Mary, passed away peacefully on her birthday at 2:21 am.,” daughter Carlyn Capodagli Wooten shared in a social media post. “She was surrounded by friends and family and will be greatly missed by many.”

A trailblazer for women in leadership roles in the promo industry, Upton was a trade show director at Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) before going on to become vice president of trade show operations at ASI Show.

Indeed, that there even was an ASI Show was largely thanks to Upton. She joined ASI in 1998 specifically to spearhead the creation of what would be the first-ever ASI Show.

Starting from virtual scratch, Upton and her small team executed the incredible feat of making the envisioned new trade show for promo professionals a reality in a mere matter of months.

“It was an absolute historic moment – a historic achievement within our industry,” says Beverly Freeman, who worked alongside Upton as her self-described “right-hand man” for some 30 years.

That collaboration included work on the first ASI Show. The grassroots effort entailed things like planning out exhibitor spacing with mock-ups on the floor of Upton’s Texas living room, Freeman shares. The show was ultimately a great success, setting the stage for what’s now been 23 years of ASI Shows.

“That we were able to pull it off was really down to Mary,” says Freeman. “So many exhibitors jumped on board based on her reputation. She was so well-connected and respected. Everyone loved to work with her. They knew she was fair and that they could trust her.”

ASI Vice Chairman of the Board Matthew Cohn relates that “there is no doubt that the ASI Show wouldn’t have happened without Mary. We were very fortunate that she wanted to join the ASI family to bring her passion and incredible operational experience to make sure the ASI Show was launched in record time with so many innovative elements to benefit the industry.”

Upton wasn’t content to rest on her laurels, though. After that first show, she pushed for continual improvement during her years at ASI.

“She was excited to make sure that the ASI Show would be a great experience for every ASI member and worked around the clock to make sure each event was even better than the last,” says Cohn.

Upton’s efforts in the trade show space were recognized. As her obituary details, she earned accolades like “Show Manager of the Century” and garnered awards like being named one of America’s “Top 100 Successful Women.” Keen to share her knowledge, Upton taught classes about trade shows, including in Shanghai, China.

“My mom loved everything about promotional products and the trade show industry and the people she had the pleasure to work with through the years,” says Wooten. “She was a fantastic problem-solver, a true friend, a wonderful boss, a born leader and an active listener. She had a smile that could light up a room. My mom had the ability to relate with almost anyone from any place and could calm almost any situation with a few words and her presence. There was no crisis on the show floor that Mary could not handle. Somehow, she not only solved the issue, but everyone walked away happy and thanking her.”

Wooten says some of her fondest memories of her mother include sitting with her on the floor as she poured over giant blueprints for any given convention center, assigning booths for the show.

“She knew what seemed like every detail about everybody,” Wooten shares. “I loved listening to her pick the menu and hearing about all the planning that went into the events and presentations. More than that, she was someone I looked up to everyday of my life.”

Over the years, Cohn worked closely with Upton.

“I am so sad that the world has lost Mary Upton,” he says. “I learned so much from her. I believe that, technically, she worked for me, but everyone knew that I worked for her – and she was a fantastic boss. I’m blessed to have many wonderful memories of the times together at ASI Shows. She will forever be in my heart and mind.”

Freeman expressed similar sentiments.

“Working with Mary was fun. It was entertaining. It was fast-paced. She was just so easy to work with and we were a team,” says Freeman, noting the pair kept in touch during retirement and would visit each other, though they lived hours apart.

“Mary’s passing,” says Freeman, “is a true loss to all who knew her.”

Outside work, Upton was an active conservationist. At Baylor, Scott and White Medical Center in Irving, TX, she volunteered in the neo-natal ICU, where she loved to hold and comfort babies. One of her passions was edging baby blankets and distributing the blankets to expectant mothers, including donating hundreds of blankets to babies in Romania.

Such activities speak to the heart of a woman whose passing has touched so many.

Says Wooten: “It is with gratitude that our entire family has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of kind words sent to us through cards and social media from the hundreds of people in her life that knew her, worked with her, were friends with her and loved her.”

Upton’s family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 17, at Colonial Funeral Home of Irving, TX, 606 West Airport Freeway. The funeral will be 10 a.m. Saturday, September 18, in the funeral home chapel.

To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in Upton’s memory, visit this Sympathy Store.