He graduated high school at 15 and entered the University of Denver, a good choice for a lover of mountains and skiing. Three years later, he enrolled at Oglethorpe University; he was one calculus course shy of a diploma.
Tommy served on the Advisory Board at Shepherd Center, and in 1990, he co-chaired Derby Day. He was a former board member at Brandon Hall and was a supporting member of Ducks Unlimited. Tommy could manage farmland, especially a dove field. He loved his vegetable and flower gardens.
He was a hunter and fisherman who truly loved the outdoors. A sunrise and sunset were more important than other plans. He shot an 18-point buck in Thomas County and hung up his deer rifle. Skeet shooting was a hobby, and he became an avid reader.
He and his father shared engineering skills and together built an innovative asphalt terminal on the river in Sugar Creek, Missouri. They could load a tanker full of hot asphalt in 20 minutes. He owned and operated Atlanta Terminal Company in Chattanooga and was also involved in the family road building and bridge companies.
Tommy was predeceased by his father James Harold Shepherd Sr., his brother James Harold Shepherd Jr. and his sister Dana Jeanette Shepherd. He is survived by his son Thomas Clyde Shepherd Jr.; his mother Alana Shepherd; his nephew Jamie Shepherd (Sarah) and their children Annie, Harold, Josephine, and Virginia; his niece Julie Shepherd (Andrew Louw); and dozens of cousins.
A family graveside service will be held at Arlington. In lieu of flowers the family welcomes memorials to Shepherd Center Foundation, 2020 Peachtree Rd., NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30309.
