Nan Shepard

1942 - 2025

Nan Shepard
10/12/1942 - 11/10/2025
Our beloved sister, aunt, cousin, and dear friend Nan Shepard died peacefully on November 10th, 2025 at Piedmont Gardens in Oakland, California. She was surrounded by family and devoted friends, and the spirits of every dog she ever loved.
Nan lived a dynamic, active and independent life from her youth in Minnesota, to her work in Washington DC, and eventually to northern California. In DC, she was a congressional staffer, a social worker for Child Protective Services, and an attorney for the Department of Education for 30 years. She was a civil rights activist, a passionate and tireless long distance runner, a sports enthusiast, a hiker, skier, a lover of all dogs, and above all, a news and politics junky. She was a diehard fan of the Caps and the Nationals, and expanded her allegiances to include the Golden State Valkyries and the Warriors. She was a big fan of R and B, blues, and rock and roll, and once owned her own juke box and 4 record bins from Sam Goody's to hold her enormous music collection.
She had a large circle of old friends from coast to coast, and her inquisitive nature and her warmth helped her forge new friendships wherever she went. From her jackets to her hair, Nan was ever colorful and vibrant. Her dogged determination to stay active fueled her long twice-daily walks with her close community of friends at Point Isabel in Berkeley, rain or shine.
Despite her increasingly compromised mobility, Nan's intrepid nature pushed her to keep moving at all costs. She was a unique and bright spirit, and fiercely protected her independence to the end of her life. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends.
She is survived by her sisters Christy and Alison (Jeff), her brother Blake (Ann), and was predeceased by her sister Connie (Jack). She is also survived by her devoted 8 nieces and nephews and their children, and a wide and loving circle of friends from across the country.
Donations in her memory can be made to KQED, Berkeley East Bay Humane Society, or Planned Parenthood.
A memorial will be held in her honor in January 2026.