Kenneth "Ken" Michael Shepherd, 51, of Elkhart, passed away on Sunday, September 3, 2023, at his home. He was born on September 14, 1971, in Warsaw, to Carrey Shepherd and Betty (Weber) De La Cruz. On July 19, 2019, Kenneth married his lifelong best friend, Barry Hyser, in Elkhart, whom he had spent over 30 wonderful years with before his passing.

Kenneth is survived by his loving husband; parents; brothers, Nathan (Jamie) De La Cruz of Fort Wayne, and Kenton (Tasia) Shepherd of Warsaw; nieces, Kailey Emminger and Juliana Berkes, both of Fort Wayne, and Isabella and Alexandria Shepherd, both of Warsaw; nephews, Gabriel Shepherd of Warsaw, and Trevor (Jada Rothenberger) De La Cruz of Syracuse; great nephew, Lincoln Platt of Syracuse; great niece, Rayley De La Cruz of Syracuse; beloved poodle, Mr. Winston; and a loving host of extended family, friends, coworkers, and clients.

Kenneth was preceded in death by his stepfather, Alex De La Cruz, and stepmother, Susan Shepherd.

In accordance with Kenneth's wishes, cremation has been chosen. A memorial service will be held on Monday, September 11, 2023, at 11 AM, at Billings Funeral Home with an hour of visitation prior beginning at 10 AM. Family friend Teri Schenk will be officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made out to the American Cancer Society or to Cancer Resources for Elkhart County.

Kenneth worked as a cosmetologist in the local area for over 34 years, owning two businesses during this time. The first salon opened was called C'Est Bon Salon & Day Spa where he began diving deep into his career. The present salon that followed is called Xclusiv Salon & Spa, which he owned for the last 15 years as of 2023. Kenneth had a deep passion for styling hair and adored spending time with each and every client he had.

In his spare time, Kenneth enjoyed reading a good book, gardening and landscaping, and travelling with family to places such as Florida, California, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas. He notably loved being anywhere warm and sunny, where he could just relax and unwind.

Most importantly, Kenneth will be remembered as a man with a big heart who cared greatly about his family, friends, and career. He, along with all the love and joy he shared, will be deeply missed by those whose hearts he touched throughout his life.

American Cancer Society
PO Box 6704, Hagerstown MD 21741
Tel: 1-800-227-2345
Web: https://www.cancer.org/

Cancer Resources for Elkhart County
23971 US Highway 33, Elkhart IN 46517
Tel: 1-574-875-5158
Email: info@elkhartcancer.org
Web: https://elkhartcancer.org/support-cancer-patients-donate/