Captain William Lester Sheppard

Captain William Lester "Shep" Sheppard, United States Navy (Retired), age 81, of Greensboro, GA died Wednesday, December 29, 2004 at his residence. Born August 20, 1923 in Richland, Georgia, he was the son of the late William Lester Sheppard and Lydia Dixon Sheppard. He graduated from Darlington School in Rome, GA and from Mercer University. He was a Surface Warfare Officer and an Intelligence Subspecialist in the United States Navy. He served his country in World War II and around the world during his 32-year Navy career. He was the Commanding Officer of four different warships, and he was commended for boarding and stopping a ship carrying missiles to Cuba during the 1962 Cuban Crisis, while commanding the USS NEWMAN K PERRY (DDR 883). He was a leader in the Boy Scouts, the church and the community. He has lived in Greensboro since retiring from his second career as an intelligence analyst in Washington, DC. He was a member of the VFW, the American Legion, the First Presbyterian Church where he served as an Elder and was a board member of the Greene County Library.

He is survived by his wife, Ann Chapman Sheppard of Greensboro, GA; two sons, William Lester Sheppard of Fairhaven, MA and Robert Harvey Sheppard of Arlington, VA; a sister, Wilann Powers of Rome, GA; four grandchildren, Nicole Marie Sheppard, Brigid Kathleen Sheppard, Natasha Ann Sheppard and Nicholai Michael Sheppard and a host of other relatives and friends.

Memorial Services will be held on Friday, December 31, 2004 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro with Rev. Dr. Ford G''Segner officiating. Inurnment will be Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 9:00 a.m. in Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium with full military honors. The family requests that any memorials be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, Post Office Box 26, 117 South Main Street, Greensboro, GA 30642. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us online at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the guest register.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Captain William Lester Sheppard, please visit our floral store.