Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Hall of Fame Member LarryShep

I'm so terribly sorry to hear this sad news about Larry. I've known him since 2003, but only got to meet him once. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his loved ones.

Mike Selman

I hope Larry has at least some sort of recovery allowing him a quality of life.

Heard today that Larry passed away this afternoon. I am sure details will follow.

Very sad to hear this. Please keep us informed of the services. I'll do everything I can to be there.

Dammit.

My Dad Larry, passed away peacefully this afternoon around 3:00pm. I'll post more when I get home in just a bit.

Thanks and with much love,
Jim, Rhonda and of course my Mom, Kathy Sheppard

Please accept my deepest and most heartfelt condolences. May you all find peace during this very difficult time.

Sincere condolences to you and your family.

Sad news. Sorry to hear this.
May he rest in peace.
Uncle Charlie

Sorry to hear of this turn of events, I know nothing I can say will help ease your loss. My heart felt condolences and that goes for you as well Thanassis.

My kind thoughts and prayers for all of Larry's family and friends
A good man done gone...





...but never forgotten

May 2008

My condolence for your loss. Tailwinds for your dad.

My deepest condolences to the Sheppard family.
Godspeed my friend on your final journey, may you rest in peace.

Gang.. As you saw earlier, My Dad did pass peacefully this afternoon.

October 8th was an absolutely stunning day for riding. I had picked up my bike from being repaired and was excited about riding again with him It was supposed to be a short ride, but everyone that know Larry, there is no such thing. We met in his driveway like always, talked for about 14 seconds, and he fired it up and said "lets go!" and after a quick nod to my Mom, he flipped that visor down and away we went.

The short ride turned out to be one of his favorite routes, the ride by Lake Burton. And thats not a short run to me at all. It was okay though, I was having a GREAT time even though I had chores at home that needed my attention. After we made the turn, we stopped at the overlook for a Smoke, and like always, he tapped my jacket and bummed yet another off me. We took pictures of each other, and decided to head on home. The sky was as blue as his eyes. We made our way to south of Dahlonega and pulled into the Chevron at Highway 9 and Aruia Rd. He bummed another smoke, and we just sat there shooting the ****** and watching traffic go by. We threw the helmets on, and he said to me before we headed off, "Thank ya babe! I sure enjoyed it!" I told him we'd do it again before it got to cold.. "To cold? Ain't you got a jacket? It's never to cold to ride!" I just grinned and nodded my head to him as I knew it wasn't worth the sake of argument to disagree. We lit off, and I pulled out of Chevron 1st, with him behind me. I was always ahead of him when we rode together. There was a comfort to me to be able to look in my mirror and see him back there. As we made our way south on Hwy 9, he suddenly shot past me on my left side. There was no reason for this. For a brief moment, I thought I'd pass him myself; how could I let a 76 year old guy get me like that? I didn't attempt it.. I just enjoyed the ride and watched him as we made our way south.. Then the accident happened. The car pulled out and He just couldn't avoid it. I locked down my back brake and felt my bike slide out to my right. I let off, and the bike righted itself and I rode the centerline down the side of the car that hit him.

After an assessment by EMS, he was transported to North Fulton ER. It was here when he suffered his 1st arrest. The ER didn't have a Heart-Lung bypass so he was life-flighted to Atlanta Medical Center. During the eight minute helicopter ride, he suffered yet another arrest. This one, as we would later find out, caused a massive amount of brain damage due to there being no oxygen in his blood. When he landed at AMC, he was dead on the pad. They brought him back after being down approx 140 seconds. He went straight to surgery where the torn descending aorta valve was repaired. Later, he'd have a stint placed and two surgeries on his neck. Doctors were very hopeful for a complete recovery, and things were reported to us in a very positive manner though we did have our ups and downs which seemed daily. As the eased him off the pain med's on about the 16th day, the noted that he wasn't responding like he should have. It was then evident to the Doc's the damage was severe. We'd later find out that when he was down the second time, the body used up the oxygen in his blood at a faster than normal rate due to the trauma he suffered. To be sure, we waited for a while to ensure there wasn't a mistake in what they found. There was no mistake.

On Monday the 7th, we decided as a family to remove him from the Ventilator. We were told he'd go quickly after that, but once again, he proved them wrong. He fought and fought until this afternoon. His final words to my at Mom at North Fulton was "What a beautiful day and for it to end like this." My Mom told him it was okay, and that she loved him as he was eased into a sleep from the pain meds. It was the last time he'd ever speak.

Dad, it was a beautiful day. And knowing that today, this day, you're with our Lord makes it even more beautiful. It was a beautiful day to have a last ride with you. I'm blessed that I was with you, and even though I saw the entire accident unfold right in front of me, it was a beautiful day.

That ride was my final ride. I'm happy it was with him.

It was a beautiful day


To keep with my Dad's final wishes, he'll be cremated and his remains will be flown to Australia this Friday for internment. Many of you know my Mom is an Aussie, and he wanted them to be together forever.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date; probably after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Once I get the date and location down, I'll be sure to post it here.

Thanks for all the love and support you have provided Rhonda and I here on the forum, in emails and phone calls. We're so blessed to be part of such a supportive group.

Be sad for a day or two, but rejoice in the fact that we have a new angel watching over us!

My Mom wanted me to be sure to let you know she's holding her own just fine.

With so much love to you all,

Jim, Rhonda and Anna Grace Sheppard

I am touched by what you have shared here - it's very beautiful. I realise that calling that beautiful sort of sounds incongruous in the circumstances but your love for your Dad and your grief and the way you spent that ride together and the hope you have in God really is beautiful - thank you for sharing. And please accept my deep condolences for your loss.

Great story Jim, Larry sounded like a great man and Father from all the comments I've read here. My condolences to you and your family.

mike

I'm glad he got to make that run again.. without bicycles this time. He always liked that stop at Popcorn Gap..
I can't help but smile when I think of the grin he must have been wearing as we pushed on through scattering peanut heads that day.


I'm glad we got that one more ride in as it had been awhile but sorry we never made it back up to Cherohala as we had planned.. s'okay though, I'll make it for him.

I couldn't begin to guess how many miles I rode with Larry over the 9 or so years... but it was many.

I remember when you, Robert & Larry rode with Di and I up to Cherohala and I stopped short in front of him after missing the turn ... it took a helluvva rider to not clean my clock and had it not been for his skills (and probabably a good bit of luck), we would have likely ended up in a pile. He was the best I've ever ridden with and and I learned much from his experience and I've never seen a man more comfortable on a motorcycle.... he truly loved to ride.

He was a good friend and a great riding partner and the road will be a much lonelier place without him.

Very sad news for you all. Take comfort that you was with him and that he was not alone.He had the son that he loved with him.Very hard times.Take care. atb geoff

Words escape me...our sincere condolences...

I'm so sorry, my condolences to the entire Sheppard family.

Brought a tear to my eye, but what better way to go than on a beautiful day doing what you love.

Well written Jim, felt like I was there on the ride with you two. Please accept my sincerest condolences.

May God bless you and keep you and your family during this time. May Larry rest in peace.

I like knowing we have another angel, specially one on a Triumph, watching over us.

Jim,
I'm sorry to hear this news about your dad. Sincere condolences to you and your family.
Will

Dang, just read this, condolences for your loss...

Jim, Rhonda and Anna Grace,

Most heart felt condolences and gratitude for sharing the day with us in word and allowing us to walk with you on this difficult path.

eddy

Very sorry to hear of your Dad's passing, Jim. My condolences to your family and to all of Larry's many friends.

It was shock for me to read this just now. Thanks Jim for sharing the story of your last ride with your Dad. I only knew Larry from the few times I attended the GA. rally but I feel like I am a better person for it. I will not forget him. I really appreciate the effort it took to keep us informed, with all you were going through at the time. Please know that you and your family have my continued support and prayers.

Here's to you Larry!

Of my many memories of Larry, I will always cherish our first ride through the Cherohala, with a brand new passenger on the back of my Tiger. Jennifer had never been on any ride like that before that day, and I am thankful that she got to see Larry take those curves like he owned them (he did). Each time that I ride those hills, I try to be more like Larry and Chy. I know that will never happen, but it has been one of the lights of my last ten years trying.

As I sit in tears over my keyboard, I want to thank Larry again for being one of the people who made me feel more at home in the BA.com family and as a motorcyclist. He didn't have to be my friend, and I am sure as hell greatful that he was. I will miss him every day, and will think of him first each time that I start my Triumph.

Let's ride more often and more fully. Larry would demand it.

My deepest condolences and prayers for your family.

My deepest condolences...

A sad sad day. I am so sorry for your loss. Another rider to think about when I ride. They are starting to pile up on me.

first let me start by saying, my condolences to your family this is a very sad day for us that knew Larry. Like Ryan said, i sit here with a tear in my eye thinking about the man and how he made me feel just being around him. when you wrote the story of that day i could see him tapping my shirt pocket to see if i had a spare smoke in there and i would always laugh a little and ask if he was old enough and did his parents know he was smokin. i must also say as others have, i have never ridden with a better rider, i remember it had to have been the first or second yr of the Ga. rally when i saw him pass somebody on a outside horseshoe turn all the while staying in his lane and never missing a beat leaned over like he was on a crotch rocket, what a site!! i knew right then that this guy wasnt playing and when i asked him about it he just gave a small chuckle and bummed a smoke and said something like, these bikes were made to be ridden. we will all surley miss his sausage come may and the Ga. rally is not going to be the same without him. he is one of those people you meet in life that you will never forget and always look back with fond memories of. the only bright spot i hold onto is that he went doing what he loved doing and that is about all any of us can hope for. know that your family is in my thoughts and prayers and that we hope to see you and your family come may. i'm thinkin Steve Mcqueen or Gary Nixon or somebody just needed another sombody to ride with and who better than him.

"I said it on my FB post watching him ride was like watching a Ballerina dance...graceful, fluid, remarkable... "

Ditto that, I had the pleasure to ride behind him during my first Georgia rally for a little while... I don't remember how but we had gotten separated from the group and I ended up behind Larry. I learned a lot that day.