Stephen "Steve" Eugene Shepard

Stephen “Steve” Eugene Shepard, 75, a longtime resident of Augusta, Georgia, died September 15, 2026.

Steve was born in Atlanta on January 24, 1951, to Samuel Stephens Shepard, Junior and Doris Everitt Shepard. He graduated from Druid Hills High School in 1969 and Davidson College in 1973, then earned his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1976. He moved to Augusta that year and began a legal career spanning nearly five decades. As a 50-year member of the Georgia Bar Association, he maintained a solo practice and served for many years as a named partner in multiple longstanding Augusta law firms.

His legal career also led to decades of public service as an elected city councilman and county commissioner, and it included serving as county attorney and a magistrate judge for Augusta-Richmond County. Whether representing clients, advising the city, or sitting on the bench, Steve believed deeply in the law and remained devoted to Augusta and its people.

He joined the Augusta Lions Club in 1979, later served as its president for several terms, and remained active for many years.

Steve lived with Parkinson’s disease for 25 years, facing its challenges with courage and perseverance. As one friend remembered, “He was my hero and faced tough challenges with grace.” Known for his generosity and ability to turn acquaintances into friends, Steve was always willing to help others.

Steve and Kathie Mauldin Shepard married in 1973 and shared more than five decades together. He loved spending time with Kathie, his three daughters, and his grandchildren.

He enjoyed golf, Georgia football, running, hiking, and traveling. He also loved creating traditions, including making s’mores for the neighborhood each Halloween and running the train around the Christmas tree. He enjoyed train trips across the US with both family and friends, golfing weekly, and traveling to Georgia football games both near and far. He was a faithful and enthusiastic member of the Pairs and Spares Sunday school class at Trinity on the Hill.

Steve is survived by his wife, Kathie; his daughters, Brooke Baker and her husband, Joel, Whitney Shepard, and Mallory Dutton and her husband, Chris; and his grandchildren, Grant, Jackson, and Ellie Baker and Daphne, Cameron, and Sally Stephens Dutton. He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family will receive friends Sunday, September 27, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Road, Augusta.

A celebration of Steve’s life will be held Monday, September 28, at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity on the Hill, 1330 Monte Sano Avenue, Augusta. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the Pairs and Spares Sunday School Class and the Lions Club.

In honor of Steve and the schools he loved—Druid Hills High School, Davidson College, and the University of Georgia—guests are invited to wear red and black.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Steve's memory to the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 5014 Hagerstown, MD 21741.

Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com