Katharine Bynum Shepard of Carrington Place died Tuesday, December 16, 2008.  A native of Appleton, WI she was daughter of the late Curtis and Florence Bynum of Asheville, NC.  In addition to her parents she is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Frederic Shepard, who died in 1956.

Her family moved to Asheville, NC when she was one year old.  Katharine was a graduate of St. Genevieve’s High School.   In 1923, while still a student at St. Genevieve’s she organized the first Girl Scout Troop and maintained her membership in the Girl Scouts for the rest of her life.  She also graduated from the Kirk School, Bryn Mawr, PA.

In 1932, after graduating cum laude from Smith College, Katharine revived the Girl Scouts in Asheville and was the first Executive of the group which evolved into the present Pisgah Council.  She was also a member of the Junior League of Asheville, a life member of the Asheville chapter of the American Association of University Women, the Non-Pareil Club, the Mayflower Society, and the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in Buncombe County.  She was an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church.  Katharine taught leadership training courses for the National Headquarters of the Girl Scouts in North Carolina, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, and South Carolina. 

After her marriage in 1939, she made her home in Aurora, Illinois where she was a life member of the Aurora, Illinois chapter of the American Association of University Women, the Illinois Women’s Club, and the Minerva Coterie.  She became a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Aurora, Illinois and was very active in a number of churches and other organizations there.

She returned to Asheville in 1983 before making Charlotte her final home in 1993.

She is survived by her son, Curtis F. Shepard and his wife, Frances of Charlotte, NC and one granddaughter, Carrie Shepard Montgomery, and her husband, Brian of Fayetteville, NC.

Graveside services will be held 2:00PM, Saturday, December 20, 2008, at Calvary Episcopal Churchyard in Fletcher, NC with The Rev. Victor Mansfield officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pisgah Girl Scouts Council, P.O. Box 8249, Asheville, NC 28814.