Our family and community lost James M. Shepley CLU, RHU, LUTCF of Mattapoisett on Sunday 21 August. He was the best friend and husband of 55 years of Anne K. (Prior) Shepley and son of the late William I. and Gladys (Peckham) Shepley.
James “Shep” Shepley was born and raised in Middletown R.I. with his brother Bill, and twin sisters Ruth and Anne surrounded by a close knit community of relatives. Shep attended Rogers High School and graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts. An outstanding athlete, Shep excelled in all sports playing basketball in High School, at URI and for the Army. Upon graduation, Shep was commissioned as a second lieutenant and began his long military career in the Army Reserve retiring as a Colonel in 1993 after 36 years of service.
Shep took these leadership qualities and excelled as a financial manager at Travelers Insurance in Boston. After settling his family in Mattapoisett in 1967, Shep chose to be closer to home, opening his own agency and joining Guardian Life where he was a consistent qualifier for Guardian’s Leaders Club. For the past ten years his daughter Jennifer Shepley has shared his commitment to meeting clients’ financial needs as his partner in Shepley Financial Services.
Shep was a devoted father of five children- Kyle, Heather, Jamie, Jennifer and Andrew. He provided support and gentle guidance that gave them the tools to succeed. Shep was involved in all the school, church, and community activities that involved his family. From stepping in as girls’ basketball coach at ORR to years as a Deacon and Sunday School teacher at the Congregational Church, Shep worked to improve life in his community. Shep was chairman of the Conservation Commission, a founding member of the Bristol County Estate Planning Council, an instructor for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 43, a Mason and member of the Lions Club.
A true family man, Shep loved nothing more than enjoying the ocean with his children, 11 grandchildren, nieces and nephews, in-laws and out-laws. He rarely missed watching the sunset at Ned’s Point with his loving wife Anne, or going fishing with his father, his sons, or his brother Bill. Cap’n Shep the “Old Man of the Sea” was never happier than when he was fishing Buzzards Bay and the islands on his boat “Raptor”.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 2:00 PM at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church. Shep consistently supported SHARE in appreciation for the rehabilitative assistance his son Jamie received. Donations may be sent to SHARE at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Rd., Dartmouth, MA 02747.