Alice Marie Foster Shepard

Alice Marie Foster Shepard was born on December 4, 1919 in Mobile, AL. She was the daughter of Grace Manry Foster of Edison, GA and Dr. Edward E. Foster of Cayman Brac, BWI. During her childhood, Marie lived in Tampico, Mexico and later Maracaibo,Venezuela, where she learned Spanish and developed her life-long love of the language. In 1941 Marie graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens. Later, she earned both her M. Ed. and Ed. S. degrees from UGA.

On June 9, 1940, Marie married her high school sweetheart, John L. Shepard, Jr. of Carnegie, GA. She was a classroom teacher for 14 years before becoming Curriculum Director of the Tift County School System. She also served as Language Arts Director for the Dougherty County Schools for 6 years until her retirement. She was a member of Delta Kappa Pi, Delta Kappa Gamma, International Society for Key Women Educators, and was listed in Who's Who of American Educators in 1976.

Soon after her retirement, Marie began to lose her vision to Macular Degeneration, and was declared legally blind at the age of 59. Five years later, a second tragedy occurred—her dear husband John died after a brief illness. Marie responded to these staggering losses with characteristic strength and resilience. Perhaps as a kind of therapy, she continued to pursue her goal of compiling and writing a family history. The result was In Place Through Time: Our Manry Line, published in 1987.

The family would like to express special gratitude to the caregivers and staff at Willow Brook Court at Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, GA for their loving kindness during Marie's last years.

Preceding her in death were her mother, Grace Manry Foster, her husband John L. Shepard, Jr., sister Carolyn Foster, sister-in-law Carolyn Shepard Culpepper, special “cousin friend” Winnie Manry Ford, and many dear aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is survived by her two children, son John L. Shepard III and wife Diane and daughter Judy Shepard Barrett and husband Norris; grandchildren Lee Shepard, Christie Shepard, Walter Barrett and wife Donna, and Nikki Barrett Cole and husband Chad; and great grandchildren Madison Tullos, Chloe Marie Barrett, Caroline Cole, and Stephen Cole.

Funeral service and internment will take place at Carnegie Baptist Church and cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Carnegie Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, Habitat for Humanity, or Georgia Sheriffs Youth Homes, P.O. Box 1000, Stockbridge, GA 30281.

Those wishing to send online condolences to the family may do so at littledavenport.com

Little & Davenport Funeral Home and Crematory of Gainesville, GA announcing for Manry-Jordan-Hodges Funeral Home of Blakely, GA.

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