Michael Shepperd:
CLASS OF 1969
Coeur d' Alene High SchoolClass of 1969
Coeur d' alene, ID
North Idaho CollegeClass of 1971
Coeur d' alene, ID
Coeur d' Alene High SchoolClass of 1969
Coeur d' alene, ID
Bedford High SchoolClass of 1969
Bedford, MA
Central Elementary SchoolClass of 1962
Coeur d' alene, ID
Michael's Story
And now for the saga of Mike Shepperd. After graduation I attended NIJC (now NIC), graduating in 1971. I was elected the Sophomore Class President and accompanied Chuck Durand (Student Body Pres) and the Freshman Class Pres. to Boise (with President Schuler). There we were successful in getting the name of the school changed from NIJC to NIC. Great story about how--see me at the reunion. After NIJC, on to Idaho. Got a BS in Education and even student-taught at CHS in the spring of '73 (sadly, my Dad died just before I started). After Idaho, I taught at Minidoka County High School (MINICO) until the Summer of '77). I taught American History, World History, Idaho History, Consumer Economics, and I was the first Girl's JV Basketball coach (under Title 9)--we had a winning season...:-) Sue McClain (sp?) also taught there, and at one point the kids thought we were an item--again, great story, see me at the reunion. Bill Faggerbakke, the guy who played Dawber on "Coach," was one of my students. After 4 years of teaching I wanted to earn more than $9447 a year (including the coaching pay), so, after selling office equipment for my Uncle, then life insurance for Washington National, I applied and got accepted as an Officer in the U.S. by-God Navy. I LOVED it! In the Navy I was everything except a Weapons Officer. I deployed to the Mediterranean twice on my first ship. During the first deployment I was Communications Officer, Administrative Officer, then Combat Information Center Officer. Before the second deployment I met and fell in love with my wife, Patty. Also before that deployment I was tapped to be the ship's Navigator (best damn job in the Navy). We went through the Suez Canal to the Straits of Hormuz (off Iran/Iraq), then back to the Med. On St. Patty's Day of 1981 I called Patty and asked her to marry me--she said yes! We were married 8 August 1981. After the first ship, I asked to go to another ship to get my engineering qualifications. Turns out that they sent me to the re-commissioning unit of the Battleship New Jersey. I was their Main Engines Officer, in charge of the Machinist's Mates of M-Division. Six weeks before the Jersey deployed on what was supposed to be a 3-month shakedown cruise, Patty gave birth to absolutely gorgeous twin daughters (Jenni...Expand for more
fer and Janet). We found out that there were two of them an hour before they were born! Well, I deployed, but Ronnie the Popular (Reagan) kept sending us elsewhere. The Big J ended up off Beirut for around 9 months. I came home on the twin's first birthday. I taught Naval Science at California Maritime Academy, then went to Department Head School. I became the Chief Engineer of an ancient oiler, the USS CANISTEO (AO-99). I helped restore her, and was the only CHENG to pass the Navy's Operational Propulsion Plant Examination on her, and even deployed her, too, to the Med. That experience turned my hair white. Following the CANISTEO I became the Deck Department Head on the aircraft carrier, USS JOHN F KENNEDY (CV-67) during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During the lead-up to Desert Storm I directed the rescue of 15 Navy Seals after their helicopter ditched in the Red Sea. Following that I was the Staff Engineer at the Atlantic Fleet Training Command. I ran all the engineering training on the East Coast and I also ran about a third of the Navy's training regarding chemical, biological and radiological warfare. I also was solely responsible for ALL the Navy's shipboard firefighting training, world-wide. I received a Meritorious Service Medal upon my retirement in September of 1994 at the rank of Lieutenant Commander (yeah, just like McHale). I decided to settle in my wife's back yard. It took a while, but I found good-paying work for about a year, then got downsized. Eventually, I landed a job teaching at ITT Tech. in Pittsburgh, which lasted until July of '03. From 1997 until 2001 I had to supplement my income by working for Wal-Mart. I was finally able to stop working 7 days a week in April of 2001--unfortunately, my Mom died at the same time. In January of '04 I fenagled my way into a job selling Apple computers to elementary through university schools. Been doing it ever since. I absolutely love selling the best solution to everyone who wants to own a computer, and I still get to be a teacher, too! There's far more to relate--but, hey, 40 years is a LONG time! I truly do miss you all, and can't wait for the reunion! By the way, my wife's back yard is Pittsburgh, PA. It feels real good to live in Steeler/Penguins/Pirates/Panthers country...
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