More detail on this person: Shepard "Shep" Colegrove Spink of Ponte Vedra died peacefully at home, surrounded by his wife and children, on October 15, 2018 following a year-long struggle with cancer. He will be remembered by the many who knew and loved him for his sharp wit and whimsical _often salty_sense of humor, abiding love for his family and for all dogs, artistic talent and sensibility, loyal friendship, unwavering code of ethics and pride in having served his country. Shep was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 19, 1940, and grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was educated at the Greenwich Country Day School, Phillips Andover Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he earned a degree in English and fine arts in 1962. He remained close to his brothers from the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity throughout his adult life. The day after he graduated from Trinity, Shep joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in September 1962 and received his wings in 1964. He flew UH-1E helicopters with VMO-2 during his deployment in Vietnam in 1966 -1967. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary achievement as the flight leader of a rescue mission on June 6, 1966. Captain Spink received his discharge in 1967, but he never stopped being a Marine. Shep met Isobel Brawley of Charlottesville, Virginia, while he was on leave in 1962. They married in 1963 and began a 55-year international adventure. On returning from Vietnam, he joined The New Yorker Magazine and relocated his young family to Westport, Connecticut. In the summer of 1968, he was greatly moved by news reports of widespread starvation among Biafran children affected by the civil war in Nigeria. He took a leave of absence from The New Yorker and within three weeks had helped develop an operational plan, raise funds and acquire aircraft parts. He joined six other helicopter pilots, and under the auspices of The Red Cross, they delivered food and supplies to refugees in Nigeria. In 1969, Shep joined Citibank to begin a two-decades-long international banking career during which he and his family lived in the Philippines, Nigeria, India, South Africa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), Australia, Taiwan, Winnetka, Illinois, and Hong Kong. When Shep retired in 1989, he and Isobel settled in Ponte Vedra, Florida, where they enjoyed golf, an extensive community of new friends and frequent visits from old ones. Shep was an early and active supporter of The First Tee, served as president of the Friends of the Library (Ponte Vedra branch) and as a member of the Marsh Landing ARB for many years, and participated in the R.E.A.D. program at Twin Lakes Elementary School with his dog Lily. After a long hiatus, he took up painting in his retirement and became an accomplished watercolorist. Shep is survived by his wife, Isobel, of Ponte Vedra; daughter Laura Chisholm and husband Townley, of Lee, New Hampshire; son Shepard "Colie" Spink, Jr. and wife Jennifer of London, England; sister Barbara Marden of Ivoryton, Connecticut; grandchildren Amanda, Isaiah and Sarah Chisholm and Shep, Josephine and Sophia Spink; and numerous niece and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project or to Doctors Without Borders.
This information was last updated 11/30/2018
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Date posted on this site: 04/13/2025
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