Augusta ~ Kenneth Earle Shephard, died at his home in Augusta on January 25, 2022, from congestive heart failure. Kenneth was born in Bangor, Me on August 21, 1952, the son of Elaine (Edgecomb) Shephard and Richard Earle Shephard of West Gardiner, Me. He lived in central Maine most of his life, graduating from Gardiner High School after surviving a snowmobile accident at the age of 17. He served briefly in the U.S. Navy and received an honorable discharge. He worked at Bath Iron Works for 25 years, retiring in 2007. He loved fishing and hunting with his father and other family members in his youth and was good at identifying all the species of trees and other plants of the forest. He is survived by his girlfriend, Katherine Guerin, who he often introduced as his "better half." Katherine lived with him and took care of him for the last 7 years of his life. He is also survived by his sisters, Debbie and her husband, Mark Elick of West Gardiner, Me; Kathy Clark Raitto and her husband Jeff of Port Charlotte, Florida; Melissa Shephard of Tennessee; Madlyn Shephard of Wisconsin; Susan Shephard of Wisconsin, Patricia Downs Hartman, and her husband Christopher Hartman of Texas; and his son Eric White of West Virginia; his aunt Florence (Bolduc) in Litchfield was a special adult in his life. Kenneth has a growing family of grandchildren including Patricia's quadruplets. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 12th at 10:30 am at the resident hall of the Arch Beta Apartments, where Kenneth and Katherine lived, located at 21 Gray Birch Drive, Augusta, Me. Arrangements are in the care of Knowlton & Hewins Funeral Home and Cremation Care, One Church St., Augusta, where memories, condolences and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of our website at www.familyfirstfh.com