Roy E Shepherd

Roy E. Shepherd

5/9/1937 - - 1/29/2025

Roy passed away peacefully at his home on January 29, 2025.  Survivors include his loving wife, Karen (Cormack) Shepherd; his son, Bryan Shepherd, and his wife Beth of Seaford, DE; Ralph ‘Marty’ Shepherd, and his partner, Debbie, of Baltimore, MD; and daughter Melissa (Shepherd) Monath of Ocean City MD and Fred Monath—grandfather of Jessica, Stephanie, Faith, Cameron, and Brett.

He was preceded in death by his brother Ralph ‘Bo’ Shepherd of Dundalk, his father Ralph Shepherd, and his mother Helen (White) Shepherd.

Roy was born and raised in Dundalk, Maryland, and chose to retire near his beloved hunting and fishing spots on the Eastern Shore.  Specifically in Greenbackville, Virginia, because Maryland would tax his retirement.  Roy met Karen at Parents Without Partners in 1973 and started dating in 1974.  When the time came to ‘pop the question,’ Roy asked Karen if she would rather have an engagement ring or a motorcycle, and she said, “You can’t ride a ring.” he knew he had found a keeper.  They celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary in October of 2024. Roy was a 60+ year member of the Patapsco Lodge No. 183, a 32˚ member of the Scottish Rite for 46+ years, a member of the Moose Lodge, and a proud card-carrying member of the NRA.

The Dash Poem
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning to the end.

He noted first came the date of the birth and spoke the following date with tears.
But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between the years.

For that dash represents all the time that they spent life on Earth.
And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash.
What matters is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real,
and always try to understand the way other people feel.

Be less quick to anger and show appreciation more,
and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read with your life’s actions to rehash,
would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Roy E Shepherd, please visit our floral store.