William Ernest Shepard

William Ernest Shepard
December 8, 1946 - September 29, 2025

It is with a heavy heart that the family of Bill Shepard, loving husband and father of two, share of his death at the too-soon age of 78 from Alzheimer's disease. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on September 29, 2025.

Born and raised in Berkeley, CA, Bill attended El Cerrito High School. He then went UC Santa Barbara, where he majored in Business, was in ROTC, and was on an intramural sports team of friends called the CrabDarts, where he was known as Duke. Bill cherished his friends for life, maintaining contact with people from childhood, college, and beyond.

After university, Bill married Chelé Flurie, and they had two sons: Alex and Skyler. Bill loved being a coach for several of his sons' sports teams, and consistent with his kind heart and integrity, he was known for including players of all levels, giving anyone who wanted to play a home.

His management career in business took his family around the country in various executive leadership roles as CEO, Divisional President, and COO for companies such as Gap, Target, Pacific Linen, NordicTrack, Cole National, and Philips Electronics. Bill returned to California in 1999, and started his business as a consultant to CEOs. He felt called to use his expertise in executive positions to help other businesses succeed. Seeing a dearth in support for those in Operations Management, he founded the COO Forum in 2004, a much-needed peer organization of second-in-command officers to learn best practices from one another in a safe environment.

Bill met his current wife, Karen, in 2001, and their young adult children were their wedding party in 2003. With Bill's two sons, Karen's two daughters, Katie and Ali, and their six grandchildren of three girls and three boys, Bill liked to say they had a Brady Bunch family.

Together Bill and Karen began attending the First Unitarian Church in San Jose in 2012. Bill was an active member of the UU church, volunteering for the board as treasurer, participating in several supper groups, serving as greeter for service once a month, and participating as a member of the men's group.

Bill was also a story-teller. He often shared enumerable events about work, college friends, family, his ROTC experiences, and his memory of them was a gift—one that Alzheimer's sadly took. He also loved hiking, attending theatre, traveling, working to get out the vote, square dancing, acting in community theatre with Karen, spending time with friends and family and his church community, and peanut butter and banana sandwiches—known as Opa Sandwiches, the grandkids' endearment for him.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Laurence and Claris (Holland) Shepard, and his brothers, Rick and Mike Holland.

He will be fondly remembered by his immediate survivors: his wife and best friend, Karen Fahrner; his sons, Alex (Erika), Skyler (Elizabeth) and their sons, Hal and Wally; his step-daughters, Katie (Edy) and their daughters Audrey and Elise, and Ali (Greg) and their children Emmelyn and Wesley. He is also survived by his brother Mike Lee (Terri), his sons' mother, Chelé, his sister-in-law Dyann, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Alzheimer's disease may have ravaged his life, but not the warmth of his personality or his spirit. He remained kind and gracious and positive, and will be always remembered for possessing the sweetest, brightest, most joyful smile throughout his life.

We will celebrate Bill's life in Spring.

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