Freeman Eugene Shepherd, known to most as Gino, passed away on Friday, December 8, 2017 in Houston, Texas at the age of 51. The son of John Robert and Natalie (Rudicel) Shepherd was born in Milroy, Indiana on January 28, 1966. Gino grew up in a loving family on a farm in rural Indiana before graduating from high school and joining the US Army. He served in the 587th company in Vaihingen, Germany after completing basic training in Ft. Dix, New Jersey and Advanced Initial Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

Since 1993, Gino has lived in Houston, Texas where he met his wife, Jamie Pappas, daughter of Donna & Peter Pappas of Brazoria, whom he married in April of 1999. He turned his military training into a career as a field technician for various companies including AT&T where he worked for nearly 20 years.

Gino will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his many friends and extended family. He was many things to many people… a fishing buddy, a proud veteran, a wonderful cook, an Astros superfan, a hard worker, animal lover and a terrible bluffer at poker. There was no denying his silly sense of humor, his easy-going demeanor and his affection and loyalty to his friends.

He is survived by his wife of 18 years Jamie Pappas Shepherd of Houston; his parents John and Natalie Shepherd of Milroy, Indiana; his brother Ray Shepherd of Santa Claus, Indiana, his wife Coleen and son Grant; his brother Jay Shepherd of Greenfield, Indiana and his partner Randy Eads; his brother-in-law John Pappas of Brazoria, his wife Terry and children Will, Karter and Gentry.

A celebration of life service and reception will be held in his adopted hometown of Houston on Saturday, December 16 at eleven o’clock at Bradshaw Carter Funeral Home, 1734 West Alabama Street. If you wish to, donations may be made in Gino’s memory to Camp Hope, http://ptsdusa.org, or the Houston ASPCA, http://www.houstonspca.org.

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