Obituary of John Duane Shepard

John Shepard, 82, a long time resident of Herndon, VA, passed away on 21 December 2017 after surgery complicated by Alzheimer’s disease.

Born 12 March 1935 in Aurora, Illinois, he was the son of the late John L Shepard and the late Marie K. Schaeffer.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by son Mark, brother Charles, and second wife Sharynne Chong Shepard.

John served as an enlisted Army MP for three years, including service in Korea. He subsequently returned to the U.S. Army as an MP and Infantry Officer, completing Airborne Parachute and Ranger Schools (’62), and earning Bachelors (’62) and Masters (’68) degrees in Criminal Justice from Michigan State.  His service included several tours in Viet Nam and Germany, ending with retirement in 1981. 

After retiring from the U.S. Army as a Major, he resided in Herndon, working with government contractors and consultants as a security analyst and trainer, including SAIC and Glen R. Murphy & Associates. Always involved in the community, after full retirement, John volunteered in local elections and educational issues.

He is survived by wife Barbara, sister and brother-in-law Mary and Jim Godfrey, two grandchildren, and nephews and nieces.

A visitation will be held 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Sunday, January 21, 2018 at Adams Green Funeral Home, Herndon.  Interment will take place with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, 4500 West Ox Road, Fairfax, VA 22030, the Salvation Army, or Alzheimer’s Association.