Shirley (Hiatt) Shepherd

Shirley Hiatt Shepherd Obituary

Shirley Hiatt Shepherd, 89, of McDonough, Georgia, passed away on March 23, 2024, surrounded by her loving family and the music she cherished.

Shirley was born on March 6th, 1935 to Rosella and Rulon Hiatt in Benjamin, Utah.  She grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and attended South High School. It was there that she further developed her love of singing and music.  She sang as first soprano in the school choir and studied piano. Over the years, she sang in church choirs, played the organ and piano for her church, and taught piano lessons. Music was her connection to God, to other people, and to the natural world. 

In 1954, she married Eugene Shepherd and they had five daughters. Shirley had a passionate love and appreciation for nature and the outdoors. She loved camping, hiking, and gardening, passing this appreciation on to her children and grandchildren She lovingly took her children and grandchildren on camping trips and many other outdoor adventures, especially after retiring from her career in the mortgage industry.  She moved to McDonough, Georgia in 2000 and quickly fell in love with the quiet rural life, spending time in her beautiful, new home and yard surrounded by flowers, trees, birds, and wildlife. Throughout the years, she often carried her camera, and we treasure the wonderful photo history of our times with her.

Shirley was a dedicated and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  She loved family above all else and inspired this value in others. Nothing made her happier than being surrounded by her precious family.  She was always happy to greet visitors or to chat on the phone.  She embodied compassion and kindness. The vacancy left by her absence will be impossible to fill, but we will always remember her beautiful smiling face and her soft, soothing voice.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, two brothers, one sister, and her baby daughter.  She is survived by two sisters, five daughters, fifteen grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Shirley’s name to Sacred Journey Hospice at www.sacredjourneyhospicefoundation.com/donate or another charity of your choosing in her honor. Services will be held Wednesday, March 27th 1:00pm at Honey Creek Woodlands.

Directions to the Funeral Service

Please note that the cemetery entrance is different from the monastery entrance that GPS may bring you to. The Honey Creek Woodlands entrance is directly across the street from the main monastery entrance.  We have included driving directions below.

Driving Directions

Honey Creek Woodlands

2625 Highway 212 SW

Conyers, GA 30094-4044       ​

From Atlanta on I-20 East

Head East on I-20 E toward Exit 71

Take exit 71 to Panola Road

Turn right on Panola Road (.2 miles)

Proceed 2.3 miles to Browns Mill Rd/GA-212 E, turn left

Continue to follow GA-212 E to monastery (9.8 miles)

Cemetery entrance is on the right

Traveling North on 1-75

Take exit 216 and turn left onto Hwy 155.

At downtown McDonough, continue straight onto Hwy 20 and continue for 11 miles; then left onto Hwy 212 (Kinnet Rd.)

The cemetery is located on your left across the street from The Monastery of the Holy Spirit

If you are coming to HCW for a funeral we ask that you take into consideration that HCW is not your typical cemetery. Our natural burial grounds are 1.5 miles deep in the woods. Vehicles are only allowed into the Preserve on the day of the burial. Parking is typically a short walk from the site.  We will happily assist anyone with limited mobility. Please let us know in advance of any special needs.

We ask that you dress for the outdoors and whatever seasonal weather conditions we are experiencing on the day of the service. We can not overstate the importance of appropriate footwear for your own comfort and safety. To lessen the impact of human activity, we ask that you carpool to HCW on the day of the service if at all possible. If you must drive to HCW alone, please understand that we may ask you to ride with another funeral attendee to the burial site and leave your vehicle at the visitor parking area.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Shirley (Hiatt) Shepherd, please visit our floral store.