John Perry Sheppard: Nov. 16, 1944 – Feb. 26, 2019
Published March 1, 2019
John Perry Sheppard, 74, passed away Feb. 26, 2019 at Homeplace in Oak Harbor, after a battle with Alzheimer’s.
John was born in Calhoun, La., on Nov. 16, 1944.
He joined the Army in 1962 and went through basic training at Fort Polk, La. He was stationed in Germany and then was in Vietnam 1966-1967. Coming back to the states, he was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and then transitioned to the U.S. Navy as a SeaBee.
He was stationed with the Amphibious Marines at Coronado in San Diego.
He then was stationed for nine years at NCBC Gulfport, Miss., doing two sets of sea duty and a shore duty working with reserve training.
He was deployed to the Philippines, Guam, Rota Spain, Puerto Rico, Diego Garcia, Nova Scotia and the Panama Canal zone.
From Gulfport, he was transferred to NavFac Centerville Beach, Ferndale, Calif. He was then stationed at NAS Adak, Alaska, and then, finally, to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, in Oak Harbor, where after 22 years of combined service he was medically separated from the Navy in October 1987. He was determined to be 100 percent disabled due to injuries and exposures during his service and lived the rest of his life in Oak Harbor.
John was preceded in death by his father and mother, TR and Willie Lee Sheppard, his first wife Linda Taylor Sheppard, and great-grandson Landen Sheppard.
He is survived by his wife Diane Sheppard, of Oak Harbor; sister Eddie Story, of Kansas City, Kan; brother Riley Sheppard, of Calhoun, La.; son John Sheppard Jr. and his wife Dicy, of Arlington, Wash; son TR Sheppard and wife Sandy, of Great Falls, Mont.; stepson Dave Kerndt and wife Wendy, of Keiser, Ore.; stepdaughter Elaine Gilbreath and husband Johnny, of Burlington, Wash.; 15 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2, 2019, at Bible Baptist Church in Oak Harbor. In lieu of flowers the family requests you support a missionary serving on the mission field.