Page 135 - Cousins - Celebrities, Saints & Sinners

Shortly after returning to the United States, Shepard traveled to the White House to receive the
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NASA Distinguished Service Medal from President John F. Kennedy (8 cousin, 2 times
removed). He was also honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City.

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In 1971, Shepard and fellow astronaut Ed Mitchell (13 cousin, 2 times removed) were selected
for the Apollo 14 mission to the moon. They took off on January 31, 1971 and spent more than
33 hours on the moon. During this mission, Shepard became the fifth person to walk on the
moon, and the first to play golf on its surface. He had packed a specially designed golf club just
for this purpose.

After retiring in 1974, Shepard became chairman of Marathon Construction Corporation and
founded his company, Seven Fourteen Enterprises. He also chaired the Mercury 7 Foundation,
which offered college scholarships to those interested in science and engineering.

Shepard died in California in 1998, after a long battle with leukemia. He was survived by his
wife, Louise, their three daughters, and several grandchildren. At the time of his passing, fellow
astronaut John Glenn spoke about Shepard with The New York Times: "He was a patriot, he was
a leader, he was a competitor, a fierce competitor. He was a hero. Most importantly to us, he
was a close friend." President Bill Clinton remembered Shepard as "one of the great heroes of
modern America."

References:
1. Relative Finder, associated with FamilySearch, and the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS)
2. Biography.com
3. Wikipedia.org
4. Learn more – 50 Years Ago: Alan Shepard, First American in Space
5. LDS Family Tree attached

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