Ira B. Shepard

1937 - 2016

Ira B. Shepard
1937-2016
Ira B. Shepard died on March 27, 2016. He was born on December 14, 1937 in the Bronx and was fortunate to have attended the Bronx High School of Science (math team and math honors), Harvard College (NROTC) and Harvard Law School (law review membership). He spent three largely meaningless years in the navy and seven years as an associate in the ultra-liberal law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. He spent forty years teaching tax law and legal ethics at the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina, with the lion's share of years spent teaching at the University of Houston Law Center. He spent six [Eighth and Thirteenth Amendment-violating] years as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs before his much-welcomed promotion back to the full-time faculty. He served on (and chaired) numerous University committees, where his advice was rarely heeded. His love was speaking on tax law. He made numerous annual presentations on "Recent Developments in Federal Income Taxation" to a wide range of groups of tax professionals in Houston and around the country. He was the Special Advisor to the Southern Federal Tax Institute for 37 years, served as president of the Wednesday Tax Forum, and sat for many years on the board of the (Houston) International Tax Forum and the council of the Houston Bar Association Tax Section. He is a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, and was selected by the State Bar of Texas Tax Section as the 2013 Outstanding Texas Tax Lawyer. He served on the Board and Executive Committee of Congregation Emanu El, as well as on the Board of the (Houston) American Jewish Committee and the Advisory Board of the (Houston) Anti-Defamation League. He is survived by Rosemary, his wife of 33 years, by Mark and Hannah, his children, by Rouhua Annetta Zhou, his daughter-in-law, and by Lillian Youjia Shepard, his granddaughter. He is also survived by many cousins and thousands of former students. He was predeceased by his mother Eva Eisenstein Berman and his father Abraham Shapiro. A memorial service will be held, at 3:00pm, on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, at Congregation Emanu El. In lieu of flowers please consider giving to a charity close to your heart or close to his heart: University of Houston Law Center, 4604 Calhoun Rd, Houston 77004-6060 or Congregation Emanu El, 1500 Sunset Blvd. Houston 77005.