Obituary: Joseph William Shepherd

April 19, 1931 ~ December 20, 2021

Joseph William Shepherd, known to all as “Bill”, aged 90, died at his Sister Bay, Wisconsin home on Monday, December 20, 2021.

He was born in Bethesda, Ohio on April 29, 1931 to William Keenan Shepherd and Helen (Price) Shepherd. He graduated from Bethesda High School in 1949 and attended Miami University of Ohio. He received his bachelor’s in accounting and went to work for General Motors in Flint, Michigan.

Bill served in the US Army from January 1955 until December 1956 and was stationed in Germany. After his return home and to work, he felt the call to ministry and attended Garrett Theological Seminary, graduating in 1966. He served as Pastor to many United Methodist Church parishes in Wisconsin including Baraboo, Portage, Door County (Calvary, Zion, and Community Church of Fish Creek, associate at Sturgeon Bay/Jacksonport), Sheboygan, Oconto Falls/Lena and Grantsburg/Atlas.

Bill married Alice Ann Busse on April 24, 1971. They were blessed with two sons and three grandsons. Bill retired from the pastorate in 1995 to Door County. Then he worked briefly for Good Samaritan Society – Scandia Village (of which he was one of the founding board members) and in real estate for ERA. In retirement, he did pulpit supply at Friends Community Church in Sturgeon Bay. Then in 2003, he “flunked” retirement and became the full-time pastor there for eight years.

He was committed to community service and loved to visit with family and friends. He is remembered for the positive impact he had on people’s lives through his ministry, counseling, and care.

Bill is survived by his wife, Alice; sons, Mark (Lena) and David (Gretta); and grandsons, Zachary, Elijah, and Theo.

Preceding Bill in death are his father and mother, Keenan and Helen (Price) Shepherd and sister, Janice (Shepherd) Bortz.

Bill’s life will be honored with a memorial service on Friday, December 31, 2021 at 11:00 am at Sturgeon Bay United Methodist Church. He will be laid to rest in the Egg Harbor Town Cemetery.

Visitation for family and friends will begin at church at 9:00 am. Memorials may be given in Bill’s name to Community Church of Fish Creek or Unity Hospice.

Casperson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Sister Bay is assisting the Shepherd family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Bill may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.caspersonfuneralhome.com.