Kathy Louise (Carnahan) Shepard

Kathy Louise Shepard, born on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1956, to Susan McCoy and Wayne Carnahan. Her life was tragically ended on Thursday, April 30, 2020 when she was struck by a vehicle while she was standing outside of hers.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father, and sister, Vicki Sue Griffin, who passed away only 3 weeks earlier.

She leaves behind to mourn and grieve her tragic death, her husband of 37 years, James Shepard, two daughters, Jennifer Shull and Cynthia Shannon Holt(Thomas), two sons, Bryan Shepard and Scott Shepard, and 3 sisters, Gayle Southard, Linda Jones, and Lori Webster (Dan), plus a host of aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. She was “Omi” to her beloved granddaughter Kathryn Rose Holt.

She lived as if every day was her last. Everything was an adventure. She wanted to have no regrets for not having done everything she could do in her life. After 2 years of marriage, she traveled to West Africa with her 2 oldest children, to be with her husband who had taken a job in Sierra Leone. It was also there that she had her youngest son. It was there that she had the desire to become a nurse. Upon her return to the U.S. she enrolled into ISU and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. She started her Nursing Career working for the VA Hospital in Indianapolis, and it ended while she was en route to the VA Clinic in Bloomington, IN.

She loved to volunteer at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. She was a swim coach for Special Olympics. She was a member of CERT, the Community  Emergency Response Team, and she was a Technician Class Ham Radio operator, and member of Emergency Communications.  If you look closely, you can still see her sitting on the patio watching the deer play in the yard, and the hummingbirds flying around her head.

Her bucket list included learning to fly an airplane, which she did. She wanted to operate a motorcycle, which she did. The bucket list included travel to Amsterdam, Paris, Monaco, Italy, London, Hawaii, Bahamas, and Central America, which she did. For over 10 years you could find her in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Her list was chopped short, but now her greatest journey begins.

We love you and will truly miss you. “Travel Well”. May you find the open and loving arms of our Lord Jesus Christ awaiting you at the end of your journey.

“Bye de Bye”

Services for Kathy will be on Friday, May 8, 2020 at 1 pm in Greiner Funeral Home, 2005 North 13th Street. Visitation will be from 11 am until service time on Friday. Due to the Corona Virus, restrictions on gatherings limits groups to 25 people at one time. Individuals planning to pay respects to the family will need to observe social distancing.  Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.  Online condolences can be made at www.greinerfuneralhome.com

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