Maria M. Shepherd

Maria M. Shepherd, 89, of Carmel, passed away Tuesday, May 14, 2019, of natural causes. She was born in Budapest, Hungary, to the late Dr. Otto and Magdalena Pertik. Maria and her family fled Hungary during the Russian invasion and emigrated to the United States. She worked at Pacific Life Insurance in Los Angeles until her father accepted a position practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Maria’s great-grandfather was also a doctor, a pathologist, who worked with Dr. Louis Pasteur in Paris.

Maria met the love of her life, Frank D. Shepherd, while both were working at General Electric in Cleveland. They were married September 1, 1962, and enjoyed a honeymoon in the Bahamas, which was one of her favorite memories. Maria was a devoted homemaker and mother of two children. She enjoyed reading, travel, gardening, crossword puzzles, and was fluent in several languages. She was a fan of Judge Judy, NCIS, Law & Order and Jeopardy.

Maria is survived by her husband of 56 years, Frank, and children, Bill Shepherd and Susie (husband, Eric) Grey. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Otto Jr., and Thomas Pertik.

Private family services will be held at Flanner Buchanan-Carmel. In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the American Heart Association.