Bruce C. Shepard

Bruce C. Shepard, of East Hampton, passed away on July 3, 2022, on what would have been his 68th wedding anniversary, after a long illness. He was 94. Bruce, the son of the late Harold B. and Gladys B. Shepard of Wethersfield, was a husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Bruce’s wife, Barbara P. Shepard of Waterford, predeceased him in 2012. He is survived by his children, B. Scott Shepard and his family, of Ellington, CT, his son Ethan L. Shepard and his family of Rye, NH, and his daughter and caregiver, Elizabeth P. Shepard of East Hampton. He is also survived by his sisters, Merle Salling and her children of Middle Haddam, and Gail Kuzmak and her family of Glastonbury; 5 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and 7 nieces and nephews and their children as well. Bruce enjoyed spending time with his family, and holiday gatherings at the Shepard home or that of his sisters was a frequent occurrence. He loved boating and fishing, annually attending the Connecticut Jazz Festival, the New Hampshire Highland Games and the Eastern States Exposition with his kids. He was an avid American history buff and took his children throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic to visit historic sites and museums every summer. Bruce was a devoted UCONN football and basketball fan, as well as the New York Yankees and Giants and never missed a game on television. Bruce graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, from which he went on to accomplish a master’s degree in Education in 1956. He served the State of Connecticut with distinction for more than 40 years as an educator, with roles as teacher, Principal, and Superintendent of Schools for the towns of New Hartford, Essex, Haddam, Ellington and Windham.   After retiring from Windham in 1990, Bruce went back to his roots and took on the role of assisting inmates in pursuit of General Educational Development (GED) certificates. Bruce did this for several years, traveling around the state to institutions to help those in need.  Professionally, Bruce was an active member of Phi Delta Kappa throughout his career. He also contributed to the Connecticut Association of School Administrators (CASA) and was a member of Rotary International since 1956. Bruce was a multiple Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary, and held offices in club chapters including Essex, Ellington & most recently, East Hampton. Bruce is remembered by his fellow Rotarians for his consistently positive comradery, his hard work as a leader and member of the Scholarship Committee for many years and involvement in charitable fundraising. Bruce will always be remembered by his loving family as our beloved patriarch, for his genuine kindness and concern for others, his quiet and unassuming demeanor and his ever-present good nature. He will live on in our hearts and memories forever.  

 A public memorial service will be held at Noon on Thursday the 18th of August, at the Fellowship Community Church, at 24 South Road, Marlborough, CT. A private family interment will take place the following day.In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be considered, either to the Middlesex Hospital Hospice (https://middlesexhealth.org/donate/fundraising-events/hospice-geimer’s olf-tournament/36th-annual-hospice-golf-tournament-donations) to support their wonderful programs, or to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (https://alzfdn.org/support-us/donate/) to help combat the devastating effects of dementia. Or to the Rotary Club of East Hampton P.O. Box 358 East Hampton, CT 06424. 

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