Shep was known for his sense of humor, unforgettable laugh, strong faith and unconditional love for his family.Shep was born in New Franklin, Missouri on April 16th, 1924 and spent most of his childhood in Chandler, Arizona. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet in 1943 and later became a pilot. Shortly after getting out of the service, Shep married the love of his life, Barbara "Mickey" Dodson. They were married for 54 blissful years and had six kids, 16 grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.
After Barbara's passing, Shep married his second angel, Velma Lairmore. The two were married for 16 wonderful years and shared a great life together. They were very devoted to each other, God and their family.
Shep worked as a mechanic at Yuma Automotive Electric for 25 years and fixed thousands of cars during his time there. He then went on to work for Yuma County before retiring from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Shep loved telling stories about his childhood and teenage years, cheering on the Arizona Diamondbacks and filling his belly with all kinds of sweets, especially anything with chocolate. He thoroughly enjoyed watching his loved ones grow and truly found great joy in their success and happiness!
Shep is survived by his wife Velma and six children, Robin (Marty) Mack, Billy (Becky) Shepherd, Bobby (Janet) Shepherd, Susan (Joe) Cruz, Jeff (Liz) Shepherd, Laura (Danny) Gauna and stepsons Steve (Kelly) and Gary (Nancy) Lairmore.
He was preceded in death by his late wife Mickey, his parents, two brothers, one granddaughter and one great granddaughter.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, March 4th at Johnson Mortuary at 11 a.m. The Memorial Service will be officiated by Shep's grandson, Nathan Shepherd.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Kindred Homes Yuma, LLC at 2686 E Co 15 ½ Street, Yuma, AZ 85365.
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