Sheri W. Shepard

Glover Funeral Home Dothan

Viewed: 1867

Posted by: Glover Funeral Home
[email protected]
334-699-3888
Date: Dec 28 2023 3:15 PM

Sheri W. Shepard, 66, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, December 28, 2023.  She was born in Dothan on February 25, 1957.  She was predeceased by her parents, Betty and Edwin Woodham, and in 2016, by her husband of 32 years, Jeff Shepard.  She is also predeceased by her brother, Brantley Woodham.  A private graveside ceremony will be held at a later date.

Sheri was the middle child of three children, but she was the exact opposite of what a “middle child” should be.  She was exceptionally bright and always made straight A’s; and unlike a typical brainy kid, she was also an exceptional athlete in her childhood.  In addition, she was the peace-maker between her siblings, and even at early ages, she often brokered deals that kept peace in the family.  Our dad used to say, “If I need something done right now, I ask Patti; if I don’t care when it gets done, I ask Brant; but if I want it done right, I ask Sheri.”  That accurately sizes up her attitude towards anything she undertook.

She spent her early years in Montgomery and was educated there.  She and her family moved to Dothan when she was in high school.  She graduated as valedictorian from Dale County High School and went on to hold a degree from Wallace Community College. She worked at Southeast Alabama Medical Center in the laboratory until her disability forced her to retire. She was also a music-lover and played the guitar beautifully, and she enjoyed participating in the chorus and glee club.  She adored all of the family pets, but especially her dogs, Sammie, Maggie and Peyton.  She was an environmentalist, and was conscious of recycling and other efforts all throughout her life.

She always counted as one of her biggest blessings meeting and marrying Jeff.  They were both “science” people, and met when they both worked at the laboratory at the medical center.  Early on, in addition to their obvious love of one another, they vowed that kindness would be the most important part of their marriage.  Each year they looked forward to their vacations, and they were meticulously planned by both of them. Jeff, who was also a budding photographer, took wonderful pictures as they traveled to Canada’s Banff area, California, Wyoming, Colorado, Maine, Boston, and often to the Smokey Mountains in the Carolinas and Tennessee. The fact that they took these trips up until his death in 2016, is a tribute to Jeff, as Sheri had to travel in a wheelchair for most of the last 10 years.

Throughout her life, her health was always a serious problem.  She had every conceivable childhood illness, but suffered throughout her life with stomach issues until it was discovered when she was 43 that her stomach was upside down.  But the real downfall of her health came when she was only in her late 20s and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  She suffered with this disease and all of the cascading ailments that come with it for the rest of her life. Amazingly,  she never let her illnesses define her.  She kept a positive attitude, always held onto hope, and was always interested in others. Her own struggles made her extremely sensitive to the conditions suffered by others.  She was, in short, a gentle, loving soul, who knew pain and strove to push it to the background of her life.

She is survived by her devoted sister, Patti Woodham, who was her caregiver for the last six years of her life, by her friends Pam Long Nelson, Wanda Davis, who she called “Wonderful Wanda,” special neighbors and friends, Merle and Earl Sellers, her beloved caregiver, Ruby Malone, and by a number of cherished cousins and friends.   Her request was that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her honor to the Houston County Humane Society, 255 Jerry Drive, Dothan, AL 36303. Anyone wishing to leave condolences or view a video tribute to Sheri may do so at Glover Funeral Home’s website https://www.gloverfuneral.com/memorials/sheri-shepard/5350500/index.php .

Glover Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. (334) 699-3888. Please sign the guestbook online at www.gloverfuneral.com

 

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