Sharron Doyle Sheppard

A horse enthusiast, devoted chocolate connoisseur, and self-described Starbucks addict, Sherrie leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and a home best described as “cozy, with pets.”

Sharron Sue, the older of two siblings, was born to Jack and Norma Doyle in Bakersfield, California. In 1950, the family of four relocated to the Bay Area, where the children attended school and their parents worked at the Alameda Naval Air Station—likely wondering how they ended up raising such spirited kids.

After graduating high school, Sherrie attended UC San Francisco with dreams of becoming a teacher. The universe, however, had other plans and rerouted her into the then-expanding world of computer technology. She began as a keypunch operator for an insurance company, where she also met her first husband, Richard. Sherrie went on to work for Electronic Data Systems (EDS) for more than 20 years, serving in a variety of supervisory, analyst, and programming roles.

Sherrie’s husband, Richard F. Shannon, preceded her in death in 1988. A few years later, she married Leland “Chuck” Sheppard, and the two moved to Placerville, where she continued her work in computer analysis and programming at CalFed before joining a medical billing and coding school. There, she helped both teachers and students understand the software and provided technical support. She eventually retired from the workforce, but her unending support for everyone around her never retired.

Following her divorce in 2009, Sherrie did the unthinkable: she moved in with her daughter, Lisa. What a plot twist! Neither of them saw it coming, but they adapted after adopting a mutual tolerance to each other’s quirks. The arrangement became a lively household filled with love, laughter, friendship, and a number of pets who all believed they were the favorite. (They were all correct.)

Sherrie is survived by her beloved daughter, Lisa G. Shannon; her treasured niece, Danielle Nelson, and Danielle’s husband, Bob, along with their children, Olivia and Jack; her nephew, Bryan Doyle; her much-loved sister-friends, Rosalie and Deanna; her grandson, Phil; her stepchildren and their families; her adored “buddy,” Sage Firebaugh; a joyful gaggle of honorary daughters—Denise, Tiffany, Tracy, Deb, Cheryl; and many wonderful friends who will miss her wit, warmth, support, and spirit.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Doyle, and his wife, Diana; and her parents, Jack Doyle and Norma (Alan) Copeland—who are now undoubtedly receiving her full report on her life choices.

No formal services are scheduled. Family and close friends will gather for a private memorial at a future date, likely involving stories that may or may not be entirely accurate but will definitely be funny. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to PanCAN or the ASPCA. For a private remembrance, friends are encouraged to plant a tree in her memory—preferably one that can tolerate being talked to like a pet.