Mary Ohlheiser SHEPARD

SHEPARD, Mary Ohlheiser

Mary Ohlheiser Shepard, 56, of Roanoke, VA, passed away peacefully on Monday (October 31, 2011) at her home, surrounded by her husband Mark Eugene Shepard; their daughter, Hannah Ruth Shepard (14); and her parents. The daughter of Robert and Betty Ohlheiser Jr., of Avon, Conn., Mary Ruth Ohlheiser was born in Tonawanda, N.Y., on July 14, 1955. Her family moved to West Hartford, Conn., in 1960 where she attended West Hartford schools graduating from Hall High School in 1973. Mary and her family were active members of First Church of Christ Congregational in West Hartford. Mary graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, with a BA in Mathematics in 1977. After graduation she worked as an analyst at the Naval Air Station in Brunswick, and then completed her MS in Mathematics at University of Denver in 1982. She then joined Sikorsky Helicopter in Stratford, Conn., and worked as a System Engineer on the conceptual design team for the LHX (Comanche) helicopter program. In 1989 she transferred within United Technologies to the Global Engineering Center of Otis Elevator in Farmington, Conn., where she continued work as a System Engineer in product development, eventually becoming Manager of System Engineering. Mary met her future husband, Mark, at Otis and they married July 22, 1995. In 1998 they relocated to Roanoke, both joining the Drive Systems Division of General Electric in Salem, Va. Mary left GE in 2002 when Hannah started kindergarten to devote her full attention to her family. In 2007 she went back to GE on a part time basis until taking disability leave in September 2011. Mary was a talented athlete in the early days of women's sports after Title IX. She was on the first women's interscholastic basketball team at Hall and played field hockey at Hall and at Bowdoin. Mary's was the third class of women to attend Bowdoin, which had been an all-male school since it was founded in 1794. She was a competitive member of the first women's varsity swim team at Bowdoin. Mary grew up in a musical family and she was an accomplished flautist, pianist, and vocalist. Mary sang in the high school choir at First Church and later the chancel choir at Plainville Congregational Church. She sang in the chorus at Bowdoin and played flute in the chamber music ensemble. Mary passed her musical talent to Hannah in piano and clarinet, providing regular lessons, discipline, and encouragement. When Hannah was born in January 1997, Mary directed much of her seemingly inexhaustible energy to her daughter. In addition to music, Mary became active in many volunteer activities touching Hannah as she grew. She was PTA treasurer at Cave Spring Elementary and then at Hidden Valley Middle School. She was a Girl Scout Leader for Hannah's troops of Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes, taking the girls through their Silver Awards this past year. Mary was an active leader in children's activities at their church, Cave Spring United Methodist. She served on the Children's Council, and developed and led Scout Sunday and Children's Sabbath services. Mary took a special interest in the church gifting Bibles to the third graders and taught a class in "Learning to use my Bible" for several years. She ran the "Read to Feed" summer mission program, raising funds for live animals through Heifer International, and has worked with the children's vocal and handbell choirs for many years. Mary was a PEO sister in Chapter P in Roanoke and previously Chapter Z in West Hartford. In addition to her husband, daughter, parents, and mother-in-law, Norma Shepard, of Nashville, Tenn., Mary's survivors include her brothers and their families, Robert and Sara Ohlheiser III, Abigail, and Matthew of West Hartford; James and Alis Ohlheiser, Cody, and Keri of Canton, Conn.; Aunt Carol and Uncle Bob Goembel, of Hamburg, N.Y.; and Uncle Joe Wiles, of Melbourne, Fla.
Calling hours are from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 2011, at Oakey's South Chapel. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 3, 2011, at Cave Spring United Methodist Church in Roanoke. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Feeding America Southwest Virginia (formerly Second Harvest Food Bank), 1025 Electric Road, Salem, VA 24153 or to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. Mary was a strong supporter and "foodraiser" for Second Harvest.