Ben M. Shepherd
July 13, 1935 – October 5, 2017

Ben M. Shepherd, age 82, passed away on Thursday, October 5, 2017. He was a resident of Colorado Springs for 40 years. Prior to residing in Colorado Springs, his military service had him posted to various places worldwide and in the United States. He was a retired military officer.

Ben was born on July 13, 1935, in Montrose, Mississippi to JT and Myrtle Shepherd. On September 29, 1956, he married Lidia Palcich in Vicenza, Italy.

Ben was fond of his motorcycles, riding well into his 70's. He coupled this with his enjoyment of fishing and RV camping, travelling extensively across the United States in his motor home. At home, his passion, besides his wife, was his gardening. While the local deer tried hard to thwart him, he still managed to grow bumper crops of tomatoes, squash and grapes in his yard. During the 1970's he was a Scoutmaster for Troop 317 in Widefield, Colorado, and later served in other roles for the Boy Scouts in the Pikes Peak Region. He served his country as a member of the United States Army from 1953 to 1979, which included two tours of duty in South Korea and one in Vietnam as well as postings in Germany. He retired to Colorado Springs at the end of his career.

He is survived by his loving wife, Lidia; his children: James (Fran), Shirley Miller (Dan) and Anna Benson (Mark); his sister in law, Aurelia Walker; his niece, Rose Walker, and nephew, Steve Walker; his siblings: Roy, Pauline, Margaret Ann, Steve, Gerald, Joy, and Lisa; and his grandchildren: Josh, Katie, Zoe, Mahri, Jia, Aaron, Amanda, Abigail, and great-grandchild Emma; and many more family and friends.

A Rosary will be said at 6:30 pm on Thursday, October 12 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1830 South Corona Avenue. A Funeral Mass is scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday, October 14 at St. Joseph Catholic Church with a visitation one hour prior. A reception will follow at the church.

Memorials in Ben's name can be made to St. Jude’s Research Hospital (donors@stjude.org).

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