Sean Craig Sheppard passed away in his home on November 1st, 2022 at the age of 42. He was born on October 28th, 1980 in Auburn, California.

Sean’s childhood was marked by energy, creativity, determination, and a generous heart. His sister Celene remembers him as a thrill-seeker, building white-knuckle sledding hills and bike jumps that were “totally unsafe.” His mom Kate tells a story of Sean, age 10, riding his bike into town to get her a gift ‘just because.’ When the ribbon tangled in his spokes he crashed and broke his arm. We all know he was probably going too fast in his excitement to get home.

In high school he played many sports and became a superb soccer player and ski racer. He graduated valedictorian of Graeagle HS in 1998, went to UCLA for a few years, then enlisted in the Army after 9/11. During his Army career he completed his undergraduate work at University of Colorado Boulder, where he became a Commissioned Officer, and went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology in 2012 from the University of Albany.

During his time in the Army, Sean deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004, where he was awarded the Bronze Star, and the War in Afghanistan in 2016. Sean served in the 4th Infantry Division; the 17th Field Artillery Brigade; the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne); and his current assignment was with the United States Special Operations Command, Army Reserve Element (ARE), at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida as a Senior Operational Psychologist. Sean rose to the rank of Major (O-4) during his time in the Army.

In recent years, Sean was a contract psychologist working for the Defense Intelligence Agency, providing support to personnel worldwide.

Sean loved animals (except snakes), especially the cat he had for the majority of his adult life, Ms. Kitty. “MK” ran his house with an iron paw. Ms. Kitty was honored with her own seat at the table, complete with her share of king crab legs and other delicacies that Sean cooked up, as he was a complete baller in the kitchen.

As a partner and father, Sean was smart, crafty, hilarious, and full of sass and shenanigans. He loved building axe-throwing and ziplining contraptions for the boys. No project was too big for this man and he’d often walk around with 40 pounds of tools in his belt, a drill in each hand, and rap music blasting as he filled our home with physical evidence of his love.

Others would tell you of the love and care he extended as naturally as breathing. Sean’s light burned brighter than most and we will always cherish our memories.

Sean was preceded in death by his grandparents and the beloved Ms. Kitty. Sean is survived by: his life partner Veronica Oh Happy, his son Rowan Sheppard, his stepson Silas Shults, his parents Sim and Kate Sheppard, and his sister Celene Hawkins, as well as the siblings of his heart, Jeremy and Crissy, and more friends than can be counted.

He will receive full military honors at Mills & Mills at 5725 Littlerock Rd in Tumwater, WA, at 1pm on December 16th, 2022. Due to the bicoastal nature of his work, an additional wake will be held in Washington, DC on another date.

To keep his memory alive for his son, we request that any personal stories and photos from friends and colleagues be emailed to memoriesofseansheppard@gmail.….

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