Ann Dreelin Shepard

Ann Dreelin Shepard, 85, of Melbourne, Florida, died on July 5, 2023. Ann was born, Elinor Ann Dreelin, on June 24, 1938 in Richmond, Virginia to Kathleen Mooney Dreelin and James Anthony Dreelin, who raised her along with her seven other siblings: Jean, Kitty, Jimmy, Donnie, Eileen, Michael, and Tommy.

Following high school graduation, Ann spent three years working for the Richmond Federal Reserve before beginning an exciting career as an Army wife. She grew and flourished over the next thirty years, and even endured year-long separations from her husband, Shep, while raising four children. She relocated her family twenty-five times (three to overseas locations). Ann became an expert at adapting to adversity and finding the joys that a military life had to offer. She saw her life as a big adventure!

On top of raising four children and supporting Shep’s military career, Ann found time to become an avid golfer. She loved the challenge of the course, being outside, but mostly she enjoyed the comradery of the people she played with. She was an excellent golfer and a fun person to play with.

Ann was a very active person, always on the go. She was a regular member of the Health First Fitness Center in Viera. She loved going to the gym and working out. At home she was often seen walking around the neighborhood or riding her mint green tricycle up and down the streets. Ann was also active in her community. She was the social director for the Cypress Trace Neighborhood for many years and she participated in many Hand and Foot, Mahjong, and Bunco groups.

Ann was a life-long learner. She was always reading or researching something. She had multiple careers in addition to the duties of an officer’s wife. Her careers included: volunteering with the Red Cross, an Office Manager at Wright State University, a surgical technician at the Leavenworth hospital, working for a travel agency and a developing property group, and lastly for the Criminal Justice Department at Brevard Community College. While Ann was working for the Criminal Justice Department, she decided to go back to school and started working on her Applied Arts Degree.

Most of all, Ann loved to travel. When Shep retired in 1989, they spent two months traveling from Melbourne, Florida to Seattle, Washington, logging about 15,000 miles. They stopped and visited many National Parks, stating that each one was breath taking. She continued her adventurous spirit by taking two international cruises each year. She visited all of the major continents. A few of her favorite places were Thailand, Vietnam, China, Russia, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Egypt, Australia, and Brazil. They even tried their hand at backpacking, spending a week traveling through the Eastern European countries with fellow back packers.

Ann was a creative soul. She grew up painting with acrylics like her mother, but she took a workshop using watercolors and found her passion. She joined the Brevard Watercolor Society and was an active member for many years. She attended multiple workshops to learn the different techniques and intricacies of watercolors. She would put on classical music and paint the day away. Her favorite subjects were historic neighborhoods. In her artist statement she wrote “I am drawn to unique structures or scenes with a gritty feel.” Many of her paintings are from photographs that her son Brett took and sent to her.

Another outlet for her creativity was through music. Ann came from a musical family and played piano by ear. She started taking keyboard lessons when she was in her 70’s. She loved sitting in the back room of her home playing all of her songs. It was a source of joy for her. She was a shy player, but if you were lucky enough to be around you could hear her play. Two of her favorite songs to play were O’ Danny Boy and Spanish Eyes.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Phillip (Shep) Shepard; her four children and their spouses, Phillip G. Shepard and his wife Isabelle of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Colleen M. Merrigan and her husband Michael of Melbourne, Florida, Brett P. Shepard and his wife Lee of Atlanta, Georgia, Christine Ellegood of Cocoa Beach, Florida; her brother, Michael J. Dreelin and his wife Lynne of Hartfield, Virginia. She is also survived by her ten grandchildren: Megan Shepard, Phillip Shepard, Connor Shepard (wife, Logan Shepard), Collin Shepard, Patrick Merrigan (wife, Kristen Merrigan), Curran Merrigan (wife, Sydney Katz), Zoe Shepard, Ian Shepard, Avery Ellegood, Lilly Ellegood, and one great grandchild, Margot Merrigan.

A funeral mass will be held at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 5655 Stadium Pkwy, Melbourne, FL 32940 on Wednesday, July 26 at 10:00 AM. Following mass, guests are welcome to attend Ann's placement at Florida Memorial Gardens, 5950 S US Highway 1, Rockledge, FL 32955, and a reception gathering at the Life Event Center at Florida Memorial Gardens.