John William Shepps

1929 - 2020

John William Shepps 1929 - 2020 John was born November 28, 1929 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the son of the late Chester Albert and Catherine Amelia Shadel Shepps. On September 19, 1952, he married Gisela Eleonore Calow, in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, John Richard, Randolph Edward, and David Chester, and a daughter, Deborah Ann Sheidy. He was preceded in death by a son, Ronald Calow, two brothers, Vincent Chester and Frederick James and two grandchildren. Also surviving are eight grandchildren and great grandchild. A 1947 graduate of J.P. McCaskey High School, Lancaster, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the U.S. Air Force from 1947 to 1953, with tours of duty in San Antonio, TX, Brooklyn, NY, Frankfurt/Main, Germany, Prestwick, Scotland and Mobile, AL. He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and was a life member of Mount Union Post 5754, Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was also a member of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. His Great Grandfather was a Civil War Veteran. He was employed as a police reporter for the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal before and after his military service. He served in managerial positions with Alcoa, Lancaster, Lambert Hudnut Pharmaceutical Corp., Lititz, Ugite Gas Corp., Ephrata, SLC Fashion Corporation, Blue Ball, and retired from Dallco Industries, Inc., York, in 1994, where he served as vice-president for Organizational Development. After retiring he was employed for two years with the Head Start Program in Huntingdon County as Facilities and Services Manager at the Mount Union School. Community organizations in which John served included: Boy Scouts of America, as an Assistant Cubmaster and an Assistant District Commissioner; several Parent Teacher Organizations as President; United Way of Lancaster County; Member and Secretary of Eastern Lancaster County School District School Board; and a member of the Blue Ball Water Authority. He was a graduate assistant instructor with Dale Carnegie Programs in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. A life member of the Mount Union Area Historical Society, John served several years as its Treasurer. His hobby was woodworking and as such he was a member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and the Blair and Centre County Guilds. John devoted a large part of his retirement years creating a Genealogical history of the Shepps family.