Fred C. Sheppard

Frederick Curtis “Fred” Sheppard, 78, of Sterling passed away on Monday, March 23, 2026, at Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare in Wooster after a period of declining health.

Fred was born on July 30, 1947, in Beverly, Ohio to Harry and Kathryn (Schneider) Sheppard and married the love of his life, JoEtta Schorle on June 28, 1969. JoEtta preceded him in death on April 15, 2025.

Fred lived a life in service to his community. Sterling quickly became his adopted home, and he was a proud resident for decades. Being a member of the Sterling Fire District for years where he served as Captain, and the first person to achieve EMT certification in Sterling, Fred’s passion was being a firefighter, EMT and being among the first to help others in need. He also served the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy for several years.

Throughout his career, he worked at Morton Salt, where he met JoEtta, as well as Seville Bronze, Nabisco Brands, Diebold and other companies, applying his deep knowledge of logistics to support each organization.

A well-known storyteller, Fred, aimed to get a laugh from anyone he was speaking with, even at the benefit of his two children and wife, all of whom had heard the stories literally hundreds of times. By the way, he’d appreciate that we’re telling you this.

Fred was a devoted member of Crossroads Assembly of God in Creston, where he established the church’s safety and security program. He was also a proud member of the Knights of Pythias in Sterling and the Fraternal Order of Police. He took great pride in earning his ham radio operator’s license and remained active on the net until the end of his life.

Surviving are his son and daughter-in-law, Todd and Catherine Sheppard of Cleveland; daughter, Tonya Hartwell and Jason Metsker of Seville; five grandchildren, Spencer Hartwell, Logan Hartwell and Samantha Flood, Ayden Hartwell, Evelyn Brauning and Lukas Brauning; sister, Glady Lemity of Wheeling, West Virginia and sister-in-law, Mary Prinkey and Denee Schorle.

He was preceded in death by his wife, JoEtta; his parents, his in-laws, Jerry and Betty Schorle and brothers-in-law, Robin Prinkey and David Flaker.

Services will be Saturday, March 28th at 12:00 noon at Crossroads Assembly of God in Creston with Pastor Mike Boggs officiating. Burial will be in Sterling Crown Hill Cemetery. Friends may call from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the church. Murray Funeral Home in Creston is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sterling Fire District, 13845 Kauffman Ave., Sterling, OH 44276 or to Crossroads Assembly of God, 10220 Wooster Pike, Creston, OH 44217.