Russell Winston Sheppard

Russell Winston Sheppard, former farmer, business executive, world traveler, and music enthusiast, died the evening of June 30, 2022, in a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital with his wife and daughters close by.

Mr. Sheppard was born November 8, 1942, in Halesworth, Suffolk, England, and immigrated to Canada on his own at 16 years of age. Working on a dairy farm for more than two years to pay off the ocean passage to North America, he eventually returned to his parents and siblings in England to work for a railroad, riding the engines across the English countryside.

Forever driven by the need to, as he said, "see what's on the other side of the hill,” Mr. Sheppard again returned to Canada, and this time his family joined him, living in the first house he purchased. Transitioning out of farming into the business world, Mr. Sheppard began on the production floor of Northern Telecom (Nortel) where he worked for more than 30 years, rising to director of semiconductor purchasing and traveling to a number of countries to negotiate multi-million dollar semiconductor contracts with well-known international technology companies.

Mr. Sheppard met his future mother-in-law while working at Nortel and rented a room in her home in Brampton, Ontario, where he met his future wife, Jeanette Britta Dedekind, in a chance encounter upon returning from his sister's wedding. Russell, the handsome and kind Brit, and Jeanette, the prom queen from Germany who felt she knew Russell the moment she met him, were married May 17, 1974.

A lover of British rock, traditional country music, and live performances, Mr. Sheppard created homes filled with music by the likes of Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, and George Jones. Just last year, Jeanette and Russell attended The Rolling Stones concert in Nashville, their last of many.

With a love of country music, Mr. Sheppard would travel from Brampton, Ontario, to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend live performances at the Grand Ole Opry. When the opportunity arose to move to Nashville with Nortel, he pursued a move to yet another country, moving his family from the suburbs of one of the world's largest and most cosmopolitan cities, to rural Cedar Hill, Tennessee, where he purchased a home on 45 acres and proceeded to purchase his first cows, Fred and Elsie, much to the delight of his daughters.

Mr. Sheppard worked intensely for 30 years to build a life for himself and his family, allowing for international travel and college educations for his daughters. His family is incredibly proud of his work ethic, intelligence, sense of humor, and most importantly, his unwavering love.

Mr. Sheppard leaves behind a beautiful family who remembers his cheeky wit and quick chuckle and misses him dearly, including wife Jeanette Britta Sheppard of Cedar Hill, daughters Tanja Gramenz of Ottersberg, Germany, Leigh-Ann Mosley (Scott) of Goodlettsville, Kim Collins (Clint) of Cedar Hill, Melissa Baker (Justin) of Goodlettsville, and Kristie Sloan (Robert) of Hendersonville. He is preceded in death by his parents Robert and Vera Sheppard, and his brother Aubrey Sheppard. Mr. Sheppard's sisters are Jennifer Brownrigg of Orangeville, Ontario, and Carol Cauchat, of Las Vegas. His loving grandchildren include Hailey Collins, Kona Mosley, Tanner Collins, Ava Baker, Emmeline Collins, Lyric Mosley, Rocket Baker, Finley Collins, Everett Sloan, Ivy Collins, and Nora Sloan.

A celebration of life with family and close friends will be held August 6, 2022.

 

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