NORWICH – William F. Shepherd Jr. (Bill), 51, most recently of Singapore, passed away of a sudden heart attack Oct. 2, 2011. He was with family and friends and is deeply missed as a husband, father, brother, nephew, cousin, colleague, mentor and friend.
Bill was born Dec. 7, 1959 in Norwich, the son of the late Helen and William Shepherd and was the second oldest of four siblings. He graduated from Portville High School in Western New York where he participated in a number of activities and clubs including swim team, marching band and the American Field Service. He spent many years in the Boy Scouts of America Association and eventually achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. His lifelong passion for travel was ignited when he spent his junior year of high school in Belgium as a foreign exchange student and he would later go on to live and work around the world in such diverse places as Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Seattle, Washington. His travels took him and his family to The Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, on safari in Africa and bathing with the elephants in Sri Lanka.
Bill graduated from Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls, with a degree in International Relations and he later attended graduate school at Cornell University. He also graduated from the American Culinary Institute, pursuing another lifelong passion - cooking.
Bill was most recently managing ESRI’s international business in South Asia. ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) is a Geographic Information System (GIS) software development and services company. Bill worked with ESRI for many years in many different locations and the company’s president considered him a wonderful person and friend and instrumental to the company’s success.
Equally as impressive as his education and work backgrounds are the genuine kindness, warmth, generosity, and goodness he extended to everyone he met. He enjoyed nothing more than togetherness and often planned and hosted gatherings of family and friends. Bill also kept in touch across the years and miles with many dear friends and family members.
He is survived by his life partner of almost 25 years, Jim Bowen of Singapore; son, Jasper Bowen-Shepherd of Singapore; aunt, Dorothy Shepherd of New York City; sister and brother-in-law, Lisa and Paul Campana of Kenmore; sister and brother-in-law, Karen and Ronald Inzana of Saratoga Springs; sister and brother-in-law Frances and John Pikus of Saratoga Springs, and many adoring aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and scores of beloved friends.
Bill’s family and friends conducted a memorial service on Monday at the William J. Burke and Sons/Bussing and Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY (518-584-5373). The family invited all to gather at the residence of Karen and Ron Inzana (70 Adams Rd., Saratoga Springs) for food and fellowship following the ceremony.
Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com.