Our beloved Dale Shepherd left this earth peacefully on October 3, 2021 at the age of 57. 

Dale was born on July 11, 1964 to Gary and Linda (Cross) Shepherd in Emporia, Kansas. He was a naturally gifted artist, sketching and working on his scale models from a very young age. The family moved all over the Midwest, living in Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska. In 1982, Dale graduated from Columbus High School in Nebraska, where he first discovered the stage and his innate acting ability and eventually won Best Actor in his graduating class. During the production of Get Smart, he met the love of his life, Cindy (Hansen) Shepherd. They married on November 9, 1984, the same year Dale joined the Army as a Forward Observer. During his service, he was stationed in Fort Carson (Colorado), Schofield Barracks (Hawaii), Germany, Australia, and Thailand.

Upon leaving the military, Dale and Cindy settled in Colorado and had two children, Jasmine and Colt Shepherd. Dale was a loving, committed husband and father, remembered by his children as young at heart and always excited to play, pretend, and create. The family was never without a dog in their lives, and Dale cherished his “pack.” He was a wonderful cook and also a master of mechanical tinkering – there was nothing he couldn’t fix, build, or reengineer. The family loved hiking and exploring the mountains, forests, and rivers throughout Colorado but also spent many evenings together listening to music and watching movies and TV, one of Dale’s favorite pastimes. As much as he enjoyed viewing and critiquing film, Dale was also a convincing and moving actor in Pueblo’s community theater, starring in plays such as Treasure Island, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Of Mice and Men.

Art was Dale’s passion throughout his life. In high school, his sketch portfolio won two Gold Key awards and went on to nationals in New York; he was also awarded two scholarships for his talent. He studied Fine Arts and Education at the University of Northern Colorado, where he experimented with all mediums, and later took a position as the Art Director for the Boys & Girls Club of Pueblo County. For almost 10 years, he and Cindy ran their own leather armor business, creating beautiful, intricate costumes for LARPers, musicians, performers, and history buffs all over the world. In his free time, Dale continued to illustrate, paint, and sculpt, sharing his creativity with his family and friends. He also possessed a prodigious green thumb and was proud to be at the forefront of Colorado’s booming agribusiness, excelling in various roles in the industry.

Anyone who knew Dale knew that he was one of a kind, an entertainer, and the life of the party. He is survived by many, many loving family and friends. His family will be holding a private celebration of life in his favorite place, the mountains, in the Spring of 2022.