R.W. Shepherd, 62, Dies Suddenly Here Saturday

Robert Whitfield Shepherd III, a member of one of Morgan County's oldest families, died suddenly Saturday morning following a heart attack. Mr. Shepherd was 62 years old.

He was vice president of Family Finance, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, one of the nation's largest finance companies. Although he resided in Jacksonville, Mr. Shepherd maintained his ancestral home here and owned land interests in the county. He had planned to retire to his home here in the near future and was spending the weekend at his home at the time he became ill.

Born in this county, he was the son of the late Robert W. Shepherd and the late Mrs. Mabel Clemens Shepherd, prominent Morgan County landowners. He was graduated from Oglethorpe University where he was a member of the varsity football squad and a member of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. He joined Family Finance in Atlanta forty years ago and rose to one of the top executive positions in the company.

He was a member of the Arlington Methodist Church in Jacksonville, the Ponte Vedra Club, and the Jacksonville Spa Club. Mr. Shepherd was also active in a number of other organizations and a social and a civic and social leader in Jacksonville.

He was married to Ethel June Underwood who died in 1961. He is survived by one son, Robert Whitfield Shepherd IV, of Montgomery, Alabama, a granddaughter, Ashlee Underwood Shepherd, an aunt, Mrs. Robert Davis of Decatur, and a number of cousins.

Funeral services were held at Vickers Chapel on Monday morning at eleven a.m. The Reverend Malcom Coleman, pastor of Madison Methodist Church, read the burial service. Burial was in the Walker-Shepherd plot at Madison Cemetery.

Pall bearers were Mr. Shepherd's cousins, L.H. Walker, R.S. Walker, S.I. Walker, Bryan Walker, Evan Walker, and a friend, Mr. Wilson Kemp of Miami. Honorary pall bearers were business associates of Mr. Shepherd's who flew to Madison from various parts of the country. They included William B. Paul, Joseph H. Lewis, Don Noble, Bruce C. Langille, Robert Meeks, Richard Keydoszius, Jack L. King, Walter Whilden, Al DeMarco, Dave Vester, Douglas Skidmore, Howard P. Arata, Harvey B. Carlton, and eight of his son's fraternity brothers, Pi Kappa Alpha, from Auburn University.

Vickers Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.