Annabelle Wade Shepherd

Annabelle Wade Shepherd, age 99, passed away on October 3rd in her home in Concord, Massachusetts where she had lived for almost 50 years.

She was born on August 14, 1919 in Akron, Ohio and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Ohio Wesleyan University. She was Women's Editor of the yearbook and met her first husband, John E. Jackson, who was Men's Editor.

Their children are John E. Jackson of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Carol Jackson Riddle of Dallas,Texas; Marianne Jackson, of Madison, NH; and Bill Jackson of Lexington, Massachusetts. They lived in New Canaan, Connecticut where she was very active in her church and many volunteer organizations and owner of Fairfield Mailing Service. After John's untimely death, she married James E. Shepherd and moved to Concord.

In Concord she became deeply involved in civic and charitable organizations. Over the years she served on many committees including the Town of Concord Finance Committee, Board of Assessors, the League of Women Voters, Concord Carlisle Community Chest, and MCI Concord Prison Advisory Committee and the Advisory committee of the Centennial of the Concord Country Club. She was elected to the Board of Selectmen in 1980 and served as Chairman for 4 years until 1986, presiding over the 350th Anniversary of the founding of Concord and all the while completing another of her goals by obtaining her MBA from Babson College. She was Manager of the Emerson 90 Hospital capital campaign in 1989-1990. In 1988 she and her husband Jim, were named as Honored Citizens of Concord. In 2002 she deservedly cut the red ribbon on the opening of the Concord Visitors Center. She served as President of the Concord Free Public Library Board of Trustees for 9 years and led the campaign for the renovation of the Fowler Library in West Concord. She was a regular at 51 Walden Street and was a supporter of the Concord Players, Orchestra and Band. She also loved her church home at the West Concord Union Church for over 45 years.

She is survived by John and his wife Gretchen Jackson and their children Michael and Carrie, Carol and her husband Mike Riddle and their children Hunter and Andy, Marianne Jackson and her children Suzanne and Erik Anderson, and Bill and his wife Lynn Jackson and their two children Timothy and Lauren. She also is survived by her grandchildren with Jim, Jeffrey, David and Derek Swaim and Craig, Jim, Linda and Steve Sargent.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Annabelle on Thursday, October 18, 2018 from 4:00-7:00 pm in the Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap St., Concord.

In lieu of flowers she asked that memorial donations be sent to
Concord Free Public Library
129 Main Street
Concord, MA 01742
or
Emerson Hospital
133 ORNAC
Concord, MA 01472