Alan Shepard Obituary

Shepard, Alan

Dr. Alan G. Shepard, born March 31, 1962, in Detroit passed away surrounded by family on January 7. 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was a beloved husband of 36 years to Debbie Shepard and a loving father to Matt and Rebecca Shepard.

Alan was cherished by his family, friends, colleagues, patients, students, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Alan's skill as a preeminent general neurologist is well known throughout Chicagoland. He attended Loyola University Medical school and went on to train as a neurologist in 1992 at Northwestern, followed by a Neurophysiology fellowship at Rush. Alan never refused a request to see a patient, no matter how busy he was. In 2021, Alan received the Nicholas Vick Teaching Award in honor of his work with students and residents. Following his 32-year career, Alan received the Neurology Distinguished Service Award where his lifetime of service to his patients was recognized in a ceremony attended by his colleagues and family.

Since his high school band "Tudie and the Fruities", Alan's true passion was music. Alan always enjoyed playing his guitar. He took lessons, would play with his friends, and even played at local open mics. His favorite style of music was Delta Blues. He particularly admired Big Bill Broonzy, Howlin Wolf, and Muddy Waters. In his final days, Alan found comfort in listening to Warren Zevon, whose life was also tragically cut short by cancer.

Alan loved sports and would relax by watching NBA games and classic boxing. He enjoyed trying new restaurants and cultural offerings and taking walks by the lake with Debbie. He had a warm smile and enjoyed making those around him laugh. Alan's favorite movie was Caddyshack which he claimed to have seen over 100 times. But his greatest joy was spending time with his family. He was enormously proud of his two children, a Public Defender and a Philanthropy professional. He is dearly missed and will always be in our hearts.

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