Joe Shepard

October 10, 1924 - February 1, 2016

Joe Shepard, 91, passed away on Monday, February 1, 2016, at Winston Medical Center in Louisville, Mississippi. Visitation will be Thursday, February 4, 2016, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Nowell Massey Funeral Home in Louisville. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 5, 2016, in the Nowell Massey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Mike Childs officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. Joe was born October 10, 1924, in Kemper County to Joseph and Lillian Richardson Shepard. He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Louisville where he was an active member of the church choir, the United Methodist Men’s Group, and a member of the Men’s Chorus. Joe was a founding member of the Winston County Habitat for Humanity and was involved in building the first Habitat house in Louisville. After high school, he attended Mississippi State University on a football scholarship. Joe answered the call of his country during World War II by serving in the United States Army. Joe Shepard, 91, passed away on Monday, February 1, 2016, at Winston Medical Center in Louisville, Mississippi. Visitation will be Thursday, February 4, 2016, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Nowell Massey Funeral Home in Louisville. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 5, 2016, in the Nowell Massey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Mike Childs officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. Joe was born October 10, 1924, in Kemper County to Joseph and Lillian Richardson Shepard. He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Louisville where he was an active member of the church choir, the United Methodist Men’s Group, and a member of the Men’s Chorus. Joe was a founding member of the Winston County Habitat for Humanity and was involved in building the first Habitat house in Louisville. After high school, he attended Mississippi State University on a football scholarship. Joe answered the call of his country during World War II by serving in the United States Army his country during World War II by serving in the United States Army. He crossed the English Channel behind the sixth wave of troops that landed on a sheer cliff and stormed the Normandy Beach during D-Day on June 4, 1944. Later, he served as a member of General George Patton’s body guard riding a motorcycle leading General Patton’s motorcade. These troops liberated France, and then pushed on to Belgium, Italy, and finally Germany where they liberated the camps of Buchenwald and Dachau. Joe was always reluctant to speak of these times. He said, “The past is better left in the past.” He retired as the Public Relations Coordinator for PepsiCo at Walt Disney World in Florida. Joe is survived by his wife of 67 years, Lois Holdiness Shepard of Louisville; and his daughter, Sandra Griffin and husband, William, of Woodstock, Georgia. One of his greatest joys was being “Poppy” to his two granddaughters: Kelly Barrere and husband, Wayne, of Cartersville, Georgia; and Catherine Calomeni of Roswell, Georgia; as well as four great-grandchildren: Carter and Andrew Barrere and Noelle and Kendal Calomeni. Also left to mourn his passing is his sister, Marie Conway of Houston, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers: Harold, Russell, and Clyde Shepard; and his sister, Eddie Mae Roebuck. Serving as pallbearers will be Andrew Barrere, Carter Barrere, Jim Conway, Chris McBrayer, Keith McBrayer and Steve McBrayer. Memorials may be given to the Mississippi Kidney Foundation, 3000 Old Canton Road, Suite 110, Jackson, MS 39216. Services are under the direction of Nowell-Massey Funeral Home, 724 North Columbus Avenue, Louisville, MS. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family by signing the guest register at www.nowellmasseyfuneralhome.com. Joe is survived by his wife of 67 years, Lois Holdiness Shepard of Louisville; and his daughter, Sandra Griffin and husband, William, of Woodstock, Georgia. One of his greatest joys was being “Poppy” to his two granddaughters: Kelly Barrere and husband, Wayne, of Cartersville, Georgia; and Catherine Calomeni of Roswell, Georgia; as well as four great-grandchildren: Carter and Andrew Barrere and Noelle and Kendal Calomeni. Also left to mourn his passing is his sister, Marie Conway of Houston, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers: Harold, Russell, and Clyde Shepard; and his sister, Eddie Mae Roebuck. Serving as pallbearers will be Andrew Barrere, Carter Barrere, Jim Conway, Chris McBrayer, Keith McBrayer and Steve McBrayer. Memorials may be given to the Mississippi Kidney Foundation, 3000 Old Canton Road, Suite 110, Jackson, MS 39216. Services are under the direction of Nowell-Massey Funeral Home, 724 North Columbus Avenue, Louisville, MS. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family by signing the guest register at www.nowellmasseyfuneralhome.com.