John Bennett Shipherd

Shipherd, John Bennett
IRONDEQUOIT - John Bennett Shipherd died suddenly on March 29, 2023.
Born in Solvay, N.Y., on October 2, 1941, John grew up in Etna, N.Y., where he started school in a two-room schoolhouse. Later he went to college where he majored in education at what was then called the New York State Teachers College, now the State University at Albany. Later he earned a master's degree in social work.
Growing up in Etna, John enjoyed fishing in the creek outside the house. He "candled" eggs at the chicken coop, holding an egg to candlelight to see if it was fertilized. John was legally blind as a child. He had glasses from a young age and was an early adopter of hard contact lenses. By the end of his life, advances in medicine gave him near-perfect vision.
For over three decades, John worked for the State of New York in OASAS, the Office of Addiction Services and Support. John helped agencies obtain state funding to provide addiction services around prevention, treatment, and harm reduction. Over his career, he was a champion for others. While John did not provide direct service, he helped millions of addicts access needed services. John retired from OASAS in 2005.
John was a dedicated family man. After marrying the love of his life, Judy Morris Rundell, in 2001, the pair lived for many years in Delmar. In 2011, John and Judy relocated to Irondequoit, N.Y., and enjoyed traveling in their motor home to visit family and explore new places. They enjoyed many adventures, like running out of gas at the top of a mountain and chasing a wedding ring down a hill. Together, John and Judy shared many pursuits, including a passion for genealogy, tracing his family lineage back more than seven generations. John loved classic cars, notably his Chevy Bel Air, and his Buick Skylark. He liked peanut butter, loved his dogs, and the fresh air, and always took care of his beautiful yard.
John is survived by his loving wife of almost 22 years, Judy Shipherd; and his three sisters, Nancy Pruitt, Elizabeth "Twoey" Craig, and Merrilyn Foote. He is also survived by his daughter, Jillian Shipherd (Sinisa); son, JP Shipherd (Samantha); his former wife, Susan Van Horn Shipherd; and four stepchildren, Chris Rundell (Terry), Kevin Rundell (Janine), Cheryl O'Bryan (Ron), Dan Rundell (Colleen). He is also survived by grandchildren, Zeb and Willow Shipherd, Heather Lynn, Ashley Nicole, and Michael Lawrence Rundell, Ryan Rundell (Jessica) and Jennie Rundell, Kyle O'Bryan (Jolene), Corey O'Bryan (Jeanne), and Kristin O'Bryan-Pitcher (Christopher), Nicholas Montfort, and Jakob Rundell, and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his beloved dog, Casey, and many dogs before him. His dog Max survives.
No funeral services are planned. A memorial event is being planned for this summer.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of John to the charity of your choice.