Captain William L. Sheppard Jr. ’72, USN (Ret.)
Moved by his father’s service in the Navy, Captain William L. Sheppard Jr. ’72, USN (Ret.), chose to earn his own commission into the Navy by attending the Naval Academy. Sheppard calls his father a role model who was an “inspirational” Naval Officer for over 30 years. During that time, he had the honor of commanding four surface ships.
As the son of a commanding officer, Sheppard said he was surprised by his “welcome” at the Naval Academy.
“From the time I was in kindergarten, my dad had been the CO of every ship that I could remember so everyone was super-extra-special nice to me,” Sheppard said. “So my I-Day was a wake-up call, as I wasn’t used to getting yelled at—really yelled at. When my parents came for our swearing in, I asked if there was an extra seat in the car back to Arlington, VA. Was I serious? Probably not, but…”
Sheppard not only remained in Annapolis, he served his country in the Navy for more than 20 years. He now lives in Turkey. In the private sector, he spent more than 21 years with Raytheon Company, much of which was conducting business with the Turkish Navy.
Sheppard created a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) with the Naval Academy Foundation. He said this philanthropic tool would make his parents proud because the initiatives funded with their contributions will make the Academy a better place for years to come, and a significant component of the trust was funded with inheritance his parents invested when they didn’t have to pay tuition for him or his brother, Captain Robert Sheppard ’77 USNR (Ret.).
“It would make them very happy to know that what they saved is helping support the future of our Academy and our Navy and Marine Corps,” Sheppard said.
You can leave a legacy—and benefit from lifetime payments like Sheppard did. Contact the Office of Planned Giving at plannedgiving@usna.com or 410-295-4110 to learn more.