Richard S. W. Shepard

Richard S.W. Shepard
1946-2025

Richard Satterlee Willis Shepard, known to family and friends as Dick, died at home in McLean
VA on 27 October 2025 from cancer and Parkinsons disease. Born in New York City to the late
Vallory Willis Shepard and Frank Parsons Shepard Jr., he grew up in Greenwich CT and
graduated from St Paul’s School in Concord NH before earning a degree in history at Trinity
College in Hartford CT. Dick then embarked on a lifetime of service to the nation, joining the US Marine Corps and serving as an artillery officer in Vietnam (1969-70); he was in the reserves until 1987 and resigned with the rank of major. During his military career, he served on the USMC Shooting Team, competing in matches and winning the national smallbore rifle
championship in 1978. Always a learner, he earned advanced degrees from Columbia and
Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Dick joined CIA in 1974 and served as an analyst and manager, mentoring generations of
analysts and operations officers working on South Asia and the Middle East. He wore his
expertise lightly but shared it generously. Dick was an accomplished briefer who leavened his
presentations with a dry wit that Presidents and senior leaders appreciated. He continued
serving at Langley until 2018.

One of Dick’s first and lasting loves was nature, especially birds, bats, and snakes. He served as a docent at the National Zoo’s Reptile House and was involved in raptor rescue efforts. The Shepard family’s railroad construction heritage was another fascination that led him to build realistic layouts for his collection of N gauge railcars. Dick also loved expedition cruises, sailing to remote places like Svalbard and South Georgia Island. A lifelong lover of classical music, he favored Richard Wagner’s operas.

Dick is survived by his devoted wife of 39 years, Celia Conlon Shepard, a fellow CIA analyst.
Two children from his previous marriage to Margaret Addison Shepard also survive: David
Shepard (Eleanor) of Bethesda and Margaret Irons (Ned) of Washington. He delighted in his
four grandchildren, Annie and Nell Shepard, and Will and Lane Irons, as well as his step-
grandchild Teddy. He leaves behind three siblings Katherine Shepard Graham (Arthur) of East
Hampton NY, Peter Shepard (Jane) of Harvard MA, and Nathaniel Shepard of Kensington CT.
Two nieces, three nephews, and a greatnephew also survive. A funeral service will be held at
Christ Church Georgetown on 8 December at 11am. His ashes will be inured in a columbarium
at Arlington at a future date. Contributions in his memory can be made to the Michael J. Fox
Foundation or the Prostate Cancer Foundation.