A funeral service for Louise Vorst Sheppard Wade will be held on June 28, 2025. She passed away peacefully at the age of 90 at her home in Reston, Virginia, on March 30th.
Louise was born on August 23, 1934 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Fred Albert and Myrtle Vorst Sheppard. She had a younger brother, Fred Jr. They grew up in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis. Her family enjoyed spending time at their country house near Ste. Genevieve. She earned a BA degree in Education from Southeast Missouri State University, and also spent a year abroad in Paris at La Sorbonne. She married The Honorable Dr. James P. Wade Jr. on June 14, 1958. He was a Lieutenant in the Army at that time, and as a military wife, she lived in Georgia, California, Kansas, and Paris, France. After the military, she and James settled in Reston, VA and raised their three children, all boys. She also lived for a short while in Vienna, Austria while her husband was involved in the SALT 2 negotiations with the Soviet Union. During their time in Vienna, she enjoyed socializing with various DoD and State Department dignitaries and their wives. At various times she worked as a teacher and as an administrative assistant. She was a fixture for many years at a dentist office in Reston, now VA Dental Solutions. She also had a small business for several years with a dear friend, Jan Bentley, selling sewn and knitted crafts at shops and craft shows. In her spare time and in retirement, she enjoyed spending time with her family, genealogy, sports cars, and traveling to France.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her brother. She is survived by her three sons, James and his wife Suzanne, Joshua and his wife Teresa, and Matthew. She is also survived by her four grandchildren, Seamus, Owen, Finbar, and Abigail; and her cousin Anne Hemmer.
A funeral service will be held on June 28, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. at Valle Springs Cemetery in Ste. Genevieve. A celebration of her life will be held at 199 South3rd Street immediately following the funeral service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Foundation for the Restoration of Sainte Genevieve (https://www.historicstegen.org).