Terry L. Shields Memorial Fund CHARITYSMITH

TERRY L. SHIELDS MEMORIAL FUND

Terry L. Shields This memorial fund was established in 2008 in honor of Terry L. Shields to help others achieve their dreams and success and to continue to support non-profit organizations that Terry was involved in and/or supported throughout his life. 

Terry was a man who always gave back to the community and lived with such passion; you could not help but be inspired by it.  Film and media communications were his greatest passions and he got involved with it any chance he got. 

He was always encouraging people to follow their hearts and dreams and to not let anyone deter them from making those achievements. 

Unfortunate events happened to Terry, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in late 1990’s and a few years after that he had freak accident at home that injured his back that gave him constant pain throughout the remainder of his life.  Terry never showed his pain to others, and continued to live a normal life while helping others as much as he could.

It would be safe to assume that we all took this loss real hard.  However, through this fund, we hope to carry on Terry’s legacy in giving back to the community and allowing others to achieve their dreams.

Funds we raised will be distributed annually to the following non-profit organizations: 


About Terry L. Shields 

Born on November 16, 1956 as Terrill Lee Shields, in the old Community Hospital in Grass Valley, California to Colleene and Rether Shields.

Terry had a wonderful childhood, along with his older brothers Ken and Rob, always surrounded by many friends and family.  His Uncle Joe was his mentor and was responsible for Terry's ongoing love affair with mini-bikes and motorcycles, since his Uncle Joe sold them.  Terry became very adept at the art of riding and won many races and trophies for his effort and skill.  At a young age, his Uncle Joe also taught him about boating and skiing.  Terry also had a step-Uncle (Walter Parker) who "adopted" him and loved to spoil him with possessions, but mostly with love.  His beloved Uncle Walter died of lung cancer when Terry was only 13, and because of this, Terry swore he would never smoke; a promise that he kept. 

Terry lived most of his life in Grass Valley and attended local schools there.  After graduating from high school, he attended Sierra College and a semester at Stanford University, where he maintained a 3.9 grade point average. 

Terry was a man of high moral values and integrity; views which his family also share.  He loved animals, especially dogs, and was survived by his dog, Reddy, which was left to his mother, Colleene, to continue the love, affection and protection that Terry can no longer provide. 

Everywhere that he went, children were drawn to Terry.  They, along with all of his family and friends, always felt touched by the loving and caring person that he was. 

Terry was "gifted" from the beginning; a child prodigy who read at 1-½ years of age, reading at a 2nd grade level by the time he turned 2.  This, among many other things, was something he did on his own; nobody "taught" him to do many of the things that he naturally picked up on his own.

While his first marriage to his first wife did not last, it brought 2 beautiful children into the world, Ashley Marie Shields and Trevor Ryan Shields.  He loved his children so deeply that he agonized over their well-being when they were not with him.  Their happiness mattered more to him than anything else in life.  He adored his children and often expressed how much he wanted the very best for them.  One of his primary goals was to give them memorable experiences to take with them throughout their lives. 

Terry was very athletic and fun loving.  He rode motorcycles, loved to water and snow ski, and had a brown belt in Karate. 

During his life, Terry belonged to the Nevada County Sheriffs Explorer Group and Search and Rescue.  He also donated a great deal of his time to the local television station and he often suffered through chronic pain just to video local school games, donating his time and equipment.  While Terry was certainly multi-talented, he excelled in videography and electronics. 

Terry worked for Federal Express for 15 years until he had an injury received in a freak accident at home.  After Terry's back injury, he retired and went back to school to learn more about video and production, which brought him a new lease on life by focusing his energy on something that he had always loved and had a passion for.

Terry was always a loving and kind son.  He was always there for his mother, Colleene, when she needed him, particularly after the death of their beloved Rether.  On the morning of Terry's unexpected passing, he told his mother, "Mom, I want to spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can do to help others achieve their dreams and I want you to know that I notice the 'little things' you have done for me, and still do for me.  I learned from you to give all my 'burdens' over to God, so I am at peace."  

I always thought and believed that when Terry and I met, we were God-sends to each other.  We were soul-mates to each other.  With our love and care for each other, we lived happily together and loved to share our happiness and experiences to others.  Terry was a dear friend and mentor to my children, Veronica, Anna and David, who loved Terry dearly.  I will always be ever grateful to Terry, the love of my life, for everything that he brought into my life and into others’ lives.

From the bottom of our hearts, we’d like to thank everyone who has been supportive of this Fund.

Sincerely,

Filomena

 

 

Recipients:

 

 

Fund Administrator:

 

 

Donations:

All donations to the Terry L. Shields Memorial Fund (a division of CHARITYSMITH) are tax deductible in accordance with federal tax laws. Donations can be made using one of the following secure methods:

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