Frank Wilson SHEPPARD Jr.

1921 - 2016

SHEPPARD, JR.,
Frank Wilson
Frank Wilson Sheppard, Jr. was called Home to the Lord on Monday, August 29. He was born February 13, 1921 in Golden Texas to rural school teachers Vonolia and Frank Sheppard. He graduated from Tivy High School and from Schreiner Institute, both in Kerrville, Texas. A member of the Texas National Guard he was mobilized into the Army of the United States in 1940. He served in the Pacific during WWII where he achieved the rank of Captain Field Artillery. He continued to serve in the US Army Reserves after the war and retired as Lt. Colonel.

While stationed in Alabama, Frank met the love of his life Floris Copeland and they married on December 3, 1943 in San Luis Obispo, California. Following WWII Frank attended Texas A&M University, receiving a B.S. in Agricultural Education in 1947. While serving as a Vocational Agriculture Teacher in Hutto, TX, Frank completed his M.S. in Agricultural Education also from Texas A&M in 1951.

Frank then began a 40-year career in international agricultural development that took him and Floris to India, Thailand, the Philippines and Bangladesh. During his career he worked on developments that led to the success of the Green Revolution in world food production. His first assignment was in Nagpur, India where he worked for the US State Department. Frank's performance in Nagpur led him to be selected for a special Ford Foundation program at Cornell University where he began work on his doctoral program (which he completed in 1970).

Frank spent five years with the Texas A&M Extension Service in College Station. Frank and Floris again returned overseas in 1963 to serve in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Bangkok, Thailand. Next Frank went to the Philippines where he worked closely with the Secretary of Agriculture to develop and implement strategies that led the country into rice self-sufficiency for the first time. Frank was presented the Gintong Ani Award by President Marcos for his contributions.

Upon retiring from USAID Frank served as Project Leader for the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute from 1977 to 1988, assisting Bangladesh in meeting its food needs without large imports.

In 1988 Frank and Floris returned to College Station which they considered their home in the US. They were active in the First Baptist Church where Frank served as a deacon and a Sunday School director. Floris died in 1998 of ALS. Frank moved to Austin to be near his children in 2014.

In 2011 Frank was named an Outstanding Alumnus of the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In 2013 he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the Schreiner University.

Frank Sheppard, Jr. is survived by: daughter Sallie Vonolia Sheppard and husband Leland Blank; son Frank Wilson Sheppard III and wife Carol; daughter Florita Indira Sheppard; granddaughter Suzanne and husband Eric Williamson; granddaughter Donna Stefanie and her husband Joshua McMahan; grandson Michael Samario; granddaughter Christina Blank; granddaughter Allison and her husband Joshua McKay; six greatgrandchildren, including Clinton James and Brooke Williamson; Grace, Benjamin and Abigail McKay; and Jaxson McMahan; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Floris, his two sisters Mary Francis Nichols and Louise Mahaffey and his son-in-law Edward James Samario.

Visitation will be at the First Baptist Church, College Station on Monday 5 Sept from 4 to 6. The funeral service will be Tuesday 6 Sept at 2 also at the First Baptist Church with interment to follow at the College Station Cemetery. Services are in the care of Callaway-Jones Funeral and Cremation Centers. In lieu of flowers a memorial gift can be made to the Food Bank of First Baptist Church, 2300 Welsh Avenue, College Station, TX 77845.

The family wants to thank all the staff at The Renaissance - Austin, Assisted Living Community for their care of Frank during the last two years of his life.