Thomas R. Sheppard passed away peacefully on July 27, 2011, at home and surrounded by his family.  Tom was born on August 8, 1934 in Pasadena to Ruth and James Sheppard.  He grew up in San Marino, graduating from South Pasadena/San Marino High in 1952.

After receiving his undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1956, Tom married the love of his life, Arlene Clubb, quite literally his childhood sweetheart, whom he'd known since the first grade.  After serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy, Tom graduated from Harvard Law School in 1961, and then joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter, and Hampton, the noted law firm co-founded by his father.  A specialist in tax and real estate law, Tom was a founding member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.  As a partner, executive committee member, and head of a formidable real estate development department, Tom helped to grow Sheppard, Mullin from a relatively small firm to the international powerhouse it is today.

Early in his career, Tom was hired by the former silent film comedian Harold Lloyd to oversee his legal affairs.  After Lloyd passed away, Tom established and served as trustee of the Harold Lloyd Estate which has supported numerous film-related causes, including historical film preservation and educational endowments.  Tom was featured in the 1989 BBC documentary on Lloyd, "Harold Lloyd, the Third Genius."

Tom was especially proud of his work with the Della Martin Foundation, for which he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, endowing Chairs for mental health research at USC, UCLA, and UC Irvine, as well as a Discovery Fund for research at Cal Tech.

In his youth, Tom was an avid sailing enthusiast, and in 1953 he crewed aboard the 161-foot Goodwill, the largest schooner ever to sail in the Transpacific Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii, which became one of Tom's favorite places to visit.  In later years, cruise ships replaced sailboats, but Tom never lost his love for adventure on the high seas.  Tom was a champion domino player, avid history buff, world-class gardener, and supporter of any cause that would have him.

Above all else, Tom cherished his family, and even as his health was failing, he was arranging parties and gatherings at the San Marino home where he and Arlene raised their three children.

Tom is pre-deceased by his parents and by his brother, James C. Sheppard, III (SPHS '47).  In addition to Arlene (SPHS '52), his beloved wife of 55 years, Tom leaves his children, Eileen Sheppard, Pam Knapp (Don), and Tom Sheppard, Jr (Inga de Beyer); and his grandchildren, Jennifer, Stephen, and Michael Kallin, and Meghan, Christopher, and Justin Knapp.

San Marino Tribune, August 4, 2011