Obituary: Bill Sheppard Jr.

Bill graduated from Hood River High School in 1946, where he played football, basketball, and ran track. He went on to attend Oregon State University and became a lifelong Beaver fan and supporter. During his time at Oregon State, Bill became a member of the ROTC program. This was his pathway into the United States Air Force. Bill proudly served his country during the Korean conflict.

When Bill was a senior in high school, he met Virginia Ford Wilson, a Parkdale high school student, at the local Strawberry Festival. In 1950, Bill and Virginia were married. On Sept. 2, 2025, they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary with their children. Their 75 years of marriage were wonderful years. They traveled the world to enjoy the many incredible sights in Australia, England, Switzerland, Spain, and many places in Canada and the United States. Bill and Virginia loved road trips. Even a long road trip to Alaska! Each visit created many stories and experiences. In the ‘70s, Bill and Virginia made a second home in Palm Springs. They loved spending their winters in the warmer climate. They became “snowbirds” for many years.

After Bill’s time in the service, he worked for his dad, W.O. Sheppard, and his uncle, C.M. Sheppard. Bill continued to run the implement business for many years until his oldest son, Craig, was able to take part of the reins to the business. A bonus for Bill was when his grandson Ben joined the team.

Bill was very active in community organizations. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and served on the boards of the Pine Grove Fire Department, Hood River Memorial Hospital and Idlewild Cemetery. Bill joined the Hood River Rotary Club in 1957 and was still a member at his death. Bill was a member of Hood River Valley Christian Church.

Bill joined the Crag Rats in 1946 and was very active as a mountain climber and rescuer. He successfully reached the summit of all the major mountains in the Cascade Range at least twice. A great joy for Bill was knowing that Virginia and all of his children had reached the summit of Mount Hood. A grandson was also able to make the climb with his grandfather. He would and could tell mountain climbing stories about every expedition. Every trip in his journal ended with: “It was a good day.” Hiking and camping were activities that Bill and his family enjoyed.

Bill loved his family. He loved to play cards of any kind. He loved to play with his children, grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren. The cribbage board was always on the kitchen table where Bill and Virginia had at least one daily game. A lot of teasing and laughter happened around the card table.

Bill is survived by his wife, Virginia; two sisters, Sue and Sally; his four children, Craig Sheppard (Jean), Keith Sheppard (Greta), Debbie Sheppard McCann (Kevin), and Dodie Sheppard Sims (James); 13 grandchildren, Ben Sheppard (Rachel), Merridy Bickford Stehlik (John), Brian McCann (Sage), Carra Sheppard Cadman (Brian), Chris McCann (Dana), Amy Bickford Burtner (Adrian), Corey McCann Sims (Scott), Audrey Sheppard Forrest (Jeremy), Emily Bickford Struthers (Jeff), Mark Sheppard (Amy), Michael LaMaita (Karli), Chris LaMaita (Kayla), and Drew LaMaita (Dara). Bill had 26 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. As Bill always said, there are many generations of Sheppards to come.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Hood River Valley Christian Church, 975 Indian Creek Road, Hood River. Columbarium urn placement at Idlewilde Cemetery will follow at a later date. Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.