Patricia A. Upton of Southampton Dies July 11

Patricia A. Upton died on Friday, July 11, at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. She was 86 and lived in Southampton with Robert Upton, her husband of 65 years.

Professionally, Upton was a trailblazer and a role model for young working women. Early in her New York City career, she served as head childrenswear buyer for the Bonwit Teller department store chain.

In the 1970s she became the licensing agent for Charles M. Schulz, creator of Snoopy and the other “Peanuts” characters, an innovative role that helped launch the modern licensing business.

The author of several children’s books and a primer on breaking into licensing, she played a role in creating the hugely successful American Girl series of books and dolls. She also served as licensing director at Workman Publishing for many years.

Upton was born in Stockton, California, and attended Mills College. She and Robert Upton were married the day of her college graduation in 1960. They raised their family in New York City, where her husband was an author and screenwriter, and where they enjoyed buying and renovating Manhattan real estate.

They began to spend time on the East End in the mid-1970s, when they bought the first of a few homes in Southampton.

Upton took up golf in midlife and loved playing at Noyac Golf Club, often joining her friends from the club on wintertime road trips to warmer destinations.

Known to all as “Pat,” she was deeply devoted to her family, which includes daughter Kathleen Upton Finch, son Jeffrey Upton, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They remember her as loving, loyal, generous and witty.

Always up-to-date on current events, she loved to share her opinions and could be counted on for lively conversation, survivors say. Her grandchildren in particular say they are grateful for the very close relationships she maintained with them into their adulthood.