Funeral services for John Allen Shepard, 69, of Canton, are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 27, 2017, at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Elmo with Bro. Tim Mabe and Rev. Brian West officiating. Interment will follow at Elmo Cemetery in Elmo under the direction of Allan Fuller Funeral Home in Wills Point.

He passed away Saturday afternoon, July 22, 2017, at his residence in Canton.

John was born February 11, 1948, in Terrell, Texas, the son of James Province Shepard and Myrtle Frances Pursell Shepard. He was raised in Elmo and graduated from Wills Point High School in 1966. While in high school, John was a member of the Wills Point high school football team that won the Class A State Championship in 1965. John was a veteran of the United States Army, having served during the Vietnam War. On October 13, 1995, he married Terri Bittle in Elmo. He was formerly employed by Greater Southwest Interiors in Lancaster for eighteen years and Canton Carpet for ten years, retiring in 2011. John enjoyed playing golf, fishing and going to any kind of sports event. He lived in Quinlan prior to moving to Canton two years ago. John was a member of the Van Zandt Country Club and was of the Baptist faith.

Preceded in death by his parents, James "Jim" Shepard and Myrtle Shepard; two half-brothers, Crawford Shepard and Raymond Clower and a half-sister, Delilah Barker.

John is survived by his wife, Terri Shepard, of Canton; three sons, James W. Price Shepard & wife, Danielle, of Watauga, Christopher Williams & wife, Lindsay, of Aledo and Chad Britton & wife, Carrie, of Terrell; two daughters, Misty Turner, of Indianola, Iowa and Dusty Shepard, of Dallas; two brothers, Paul Shepard & wife, Louise, of Burleson and Chuck Shepard & wife, Georgia, of Elmo; two sisters, Donna Coker, of Burkburnett and Nancy Jo Childress & husband, Bill, of Wills Point; nine grandchildren, Ashtin Fudge, Paige Turner, Dylan Turner, Logan Turner, Harper Shepard, Colton Britton, Cash Britton, Chloe Britton and Liam Williams; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Pallbearers: James Shepard, Chad Britton, Chris Williams, Roy Deen, Steve Steadham, C.W. Wilson, Wayne Langford and Donnie Dotson

Honorary Pallbearers will be the 1965 State Championship Football Team

Family will receive friends at the funeral home Wednesday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.