Houston, TX - Sara Lynn (Pope) Shepard, of Houston, despite her fierce determination and valiant efforts to not let metastasized breast cancer rob her of time with her family, died at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center on November 4, 2025. She was only 44.

Sara was born in 1981 at Norman Regional Hospital. She completed kindergarten at Adams Elementary School, attended Monroe Elementary, Whittier Middle, West Mid High, and participated in the AEGIS program and graduated from Norman High in 1999. Sara earned her BA at Austin College, Sherman, TX, in 2003 and Master of Library Science from the University of North Texas, Denton, in 2010.

Sara joined Girl Scout Troop 216 (Carol Baylor, leader) as a Brownie, earning the Girl Scout Silver Award, serving as camp counselor "Tootsie" (a nod to her oboe playing), and making lifelong friends. She enjoyed playing the oboe in the school orchestra from sixth grade on and learned the flute for marching band.

Sara continued living in Texas after college, and married Josh Shepard in 2013 in Las Vegas (where her Grandma and Grandpa Pope had married over 70 years earlier!). Sara missed having a dog growing up, so as soon as they could, she and Josh rescued a black pitbull mix, Bender, the sweetest and gentlest dog ever. In 2018, Sara and Josh were blessed and thrilled when their daughter, Vivian, was born.

Sara was preceded in death by her grandparents, O.L. and Pauline Pope and Ronald O. and Blanche Killgore; Aunt Dess and Uncle Bob Morris, Uncles Ray Howard and Bob Bullock, Uncles Ron Killgore and Bob Karth, and infant cousin Candace Killgore.

Sara is remembered and mourned by Josh and Vivian; parents Gary and Maria Pope; younger sisters Anna (Brian) Young and Megan (Dylan) Broll, Walter and Henry; aunts and uncles Bess Bullock, Karon Pope, and Don (Teresa) Pope, Don (Eloise) Killgore, Sharon Karth, TJ (Connie) Killgore, and Joy Killgore; cousins and other family and friends; and pets Lucy, Peso and Ruby.

Woefully, the circumstances of her passing were extremely difficult, as Sara's employer abruptly announced its closing and removed her and her family from health/life insurance benefits while she was in the hospital. A GoFundMe is available at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-josh-and-vivian-after-saras-loss and a Give InKind at https://www.giveinkind.com/inkinds/L8T3F6C/sara-shepard to support Sara's family as they navigate the fallout of this tragedy.

Please visit www.moralesfuneralhome.com for more about Sara's life.