Dr. James Clyde Sheppard, MD

Dr. James C. Sheppard, MD, father, brother, friend, mentor, doc, grandpa, uncle, and avid tractor hoarder, left this physical world at age 90, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.  He was born December 13, 1934 in Rehobeth, Alabama to the late, Arthur and Lola Sheppard. He is preceded is death by his loving wife, Martha Claire. He is survived by his Brother, Robert (Brenda) and Sister, Frances (Terry), his Children Penelope (or Penny), Pamela, Polly (Emilio), and Ballard (Sara), and he is celebrated by his Grands Wesley, Vincent, Landon, India, and Barrett. Along with his nieces and nephews, Michele (Sam), Katrina (Kevin), Dusty (Erin), and Molly (Jared), and eight great nieces and nephews.

Doc, was also know as Jimmy or Jim, and he was a master story teller. His favorite subjects were the origins and restorations of his treasured John Deere Tractor and Caterpillar collection, the days of his youth as a sharecropper’s son, and his pride of being part of the University of Florida ad hoc Gatorade development team. After his graduation from medical school from the University of Alabama he served in the United States Air Force.

Doc loved his dark chocolate almond Hershey candy bars, corn pones, cowboy starched jeans and shirts, club crackers, Slocumb tomatoes on Granny’s biscuits, Shery Barton’s woodworking skills and Shery’s cane syrup.  Doc enjoyed eradicating yaupons on the Farm, dining at the Bruce Cafe, creating what his daughters’ called his ‘Gomer Piles’ (gomers-stacks and stacks of papers and photos), and tinkering on his tractors with his Friend Bill Mitchell. His summer escape from the Florida ‘misery season’ (his name for Florida summers) was his cabin in the Eastern Oregon Blue Mountains. 

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, April 26, 2025 at Davis-Watkins Funeral Home, 1474 State Highway 83 North, DeFuniak Springs, Florida 32433 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Please drop by and share your stories and memories with us!

The family requests in lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Walton County FFA Tractor Museum, https://www.waltontractormuseum.com/. If you go to the website a video is available explaining the vision that was near and dear to his heart. A tree may be planted, or a donation can be made to Alaqua Animal Refuge, 155 Dugas Wy, Freeport, Florida 32439 in his honor.

Arrangements and services are under the direction of Davis-Watkins Funeral Home of DeFuniak Springs.