William Wayne Shepard

William "Bill" Shepard, retired magazine and newspaper editor, passed away after a serious stroke on March 29, 2012, surrounded by loving family in his home in Eureka, CA. Bill was born on Oct. 7, 1926 in Danville, Illinois.

He attended Danville High and graduated from University of Illinois with a B.A. in Journalism. After his honorable discharge from the army at the end of WWII, he married his high school sweetheart, Helen Joanne North, first moving to Ft. Collins, CO, where he landed a job as a reporter at the local newspaper, and eventually settling in Woodland, CA, where he wrote for The Daily Democrat and the UC Davis Agricultural Extension office. Here Bill and Joanne raised their children until relocating to Mill Valley in 1969, when Bill became Vice President of Rajo Publications, overseeing the production of many camping and travel magazines.

Camping and backpacking was always Bill's first love, an obsession he shared generously with his family, frequently entertaining them with his hiking slides, always encouraging them over the next hill. Bill also loved to build and remodel, and always had a project going. His love of travel also prompted a lot of moving around, with the family living at various times in Espanola, Sacramento, Seattle, Quincy, Lodi, back to Woodland (where he finally became editor of The Daily Democrat), and Keller, TX; retiring to Eureka, CA, in 1992, after leaving his final professional position as editor of Paint Horse Journal.

Besides writing and editing, Bill also loved photography, was a voracious reader, BBQ'd whenever possible, loved to tell a good joke and shared enthusiastically in all his kids' accomplishments. But he is probably best remembered for his kindness, his tolerance and generosity, and his loving good humor. He was the kind of father you judged your own actions by, the kind of friend you treasured all your life, and a very patient, loving husband. After Joanne passed away in 2003, Bill married Alis Field in 2005.

He is survived by his wife, Alis; his five children-George Sonntag of Eureka, Greg Shepard of Eureka, Mark Shepard of Pt. Richmond, Sue Portugal of Eureka and Melinda Fears of Eureka; his ten grandchildren-Gayle Clements of Lexington, KY, Justin Shepard of Folcroft, PA, Megan Terheyden of San Francisco, Shannon Waltermire of Roseville, CA, Elijah Portugal of Logan, UT, Nicole Cleek of Eureka, Maya Stuart of Eureka, Daniel Waltermire of Quincy, CA, Cole Shepard of Eureka, Alyssa Ravenwood of Los Angeles and Bodhi Portugal of Nicaragua; and six wonderful great-grandchildren-Ivy and Nathan Cleek, Alexis Shepard, Chloe Waltermire and Dayana and Gene Portugal.

Bill's extended family includes niece Barbara Leatham and family, plus Peter Portugal, Mitch Fears, Cindy Brown, Laurel Sterling, Kelly Shepard, Sara Bangen, Matthew Stuart, Ryan Triplett, D.J. Cleek, Jenni Waltermire, O.C., Sarita Portugal, Cammy Williams and Dan Streeter.

Bill and Joanne Shepard created a wonderful family, and they will always live in their friends' and family's hearts.

There will be a service at the Methodist Church at 520 Del Norte in Eureka on Saturday, April 7, 2012, at 1pm. Friends of the family are encouraged to attend.

Arrangements are under the direction of Pierce Mortuary, Eureka.

Please sign the guest book at www.Times-Standard.com, click obits.