Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

July 5, 2023

CHARLOTTE- Glenn Allen Shepherd, 84, passed away on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, in Charlotte, NC after an unexpected head injury sustained on Friday, June 30, 2023.  Glenn was born on August 2, 1938, in Louisville, Ohio, at twelve noon sharp as the local church bells rang out.  He was the youngest son of George Clarence and Mary Lucille McNeely Shepherd’s five children.

Glenn grew up in Louisville, Ohio and went on to graduate from Ohio University in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.  He worked as a mechanical engineer with General Tire in Akron, Ohio for thirty-five years.  When Continental General Tire relocated to Charlotte, Glenn and his wife Gail relocated from Silver Lake, Ohio and remained after he retired.  An avid tennis player, Glenn and Gail loved the outdoor clay courts, the mild winters, the mountains, and the beach.  Upon retirement, Glenn enmeshed himself in the Matthews community, working at the Brace YMCA for seventeen years at the front desk, volunteering at the peach stand at the farmer’s market, taking meals to the men’s shelter and frequenting all the local coffee shops with weekly groups of friends.

Glenn was a member of the Masonic Grand Lodge A. & F.M. of Ohio, Cuyahoga Falls Lodge No. 735.  He was a long-time member of Providence United Methodist Church, where he served as an usher for many years at the early service.  He was a member of the Christian Home Sunday School class and the SOB’s (Sons of Brotherhood) men’s group.  Glenn was an avid volunteer with the Men’s Shelter (Roof Above) in Charlotte.

Glenn is survived by the love of his life, his wife of thirty-five years, Gail Darlene Shepherd; children, Jodi Drilak and her husband, John, Greg Shepherd and his wife, Laura, Robin Ellis and her husband, Kevin, Cathy Willison and her husband, Pat, Rebecca Farley, and David Taylor.  Also surviving are his adored grandchildren whom he would FaceTime and Skype with weekly as they grew and moved into their adult lives, Seth, Caleb and Rebekah Drilak, Tyler, Elizabeth and Emily Shepherd, Shepherd, Spencer and Sawyer Ellis, Patrick (Kelly) and Matthew Willison, Marisa Farley, Maxwell and Aidan Taylor.  Glenn is also survived by his brother, George Shepherd and his wife, Gloria.  He was predeceased by his parents, George and Mary Shepherd; his siblings, Ruth Wallace, Betty DeBatista, and Marjorie Freese and his first wife, Patricia Elizabeth Crum Shepherd.

Glenn lived a full and much-loved life, building relationships wherever he went. When you met Glenn, he knew your name, family, and your pet’s name in a matter of minutes.  He was mindful and measured, kind, practical, and a constant presence in all our lives. We trust he has already organized weekly heavenly coffee groups.  He was loved deeply and will be greatly missed.

A service of remembrance and celebration of Glenn’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be offered in memory of Glenn to Roof Above, Attn: Philanthropy Office, P.O. Box 31335, Charlotte, NC 28231 or a charity of the donor's choice.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC; 28204 (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.