John Joseph Sheppard Jr. was born in New Orleans, the eldest son of John Joseph Sheppard, Sr. and Helen Bernice Minning. He was the first in his family to attend or graduate from college, receiving one of the first state-sponsored scholarships in the nation and graduating from Tulane University with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Following graduation he relocated to Seattle, Washington, where he had a 42-year career with Boeing Aircraft Company: He began as a flight test engineer on the development team for the B17 and B29, and concluded as Engineering Static Test Laboratories Manager for the Boeing Aerospace Division, where he worked on the Minuteman, Apollo, and Lunar Rover projects.

In 1942 he briefly returned to New Orleans and married Rita Margaret de Russy, his childhood sweetheart, best friend and partner for 65 years. Together they returned to Seattle where they raised their family.

He had a lifelong love of the waters and seashores of Wash., first as an avid boater cruising Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, and later as a waterfront resident of Sandy Hook on Whidbey Island, where he retired in 1984 to enjoy a wonderful and active retirement with Rita until her death in 2007. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, relishing above all the many happy times spent with his family at Whidbey Island. In their retirement he and Rita cruised much of the world, enjoyed golf, beachcombing, clamming, crabbing, and just sitting on the deck together gazing at the sunsets over his beloved Cultus Bay.

John was a traditional, rugged individualist who valued his independence. He lived on his own at Sandy Hook until his brief final illness. He is survived by his brother Howard in Louisiana, sons Steven (Susan) and Kenneth (Linda), as well as grandchildren Kyle Sheppard, Kelsey Garner (and Eric), Paul Sheppard (Jennifer Hohnstein), Anne Sheppard (Bagheera Latimer), and great grandchild Noel Garner.

John lived a long, productive and rewarding life, and will be fondly remembered as the patriarch and foundation of the Sheppard family in Washington.