Sheepdog Connection

The last time we saw you before losing you, we were celebrating your cousin's wedding in Crested Butte, Colorado. We captured this photo of you, looking over your shoulder and seeming to say, “See you later.”

38 ° 53 ' 19" N 106° 56' 41" W

As we stood on that same spot in September 2023 and scattered your ashes, we felt you there, smiling over your shoulder at us.

While we are not standing in that spot today, 10 years exactly from when you ran ahead of us to heaven, we still see you looking over your shoulder at us, saying, "See you later."

Sheepdog Connection is excited to announce our next 50 for 20 event on Friday, August 29, 2025, featuring Gary Brooks.

Gary has had an amazing career working with growth-stage companies building category-defining brands, architecting scalable demand generation engines, and accelerating revenue growth. He is a semi-retired CMO, SaaS Growth Accelerator, brand strategist, investor, advisor, coach, and lifelong learner. We are excited to hear the amazing life lessons he will share.

Happy birthday to our favorite Sheepdog. For his high school graduation and birthday, the family visited Hawaii. True to his funny and silly nature, he said, "Hey, take a picture of just me!" And this is the result. He only wanted to be the center of attention on his own terms. This was one of those times. Missed and loved more than he will ever know.

We were honored to sponsor these two Sheepdogs to attend Christ in the Smokies: Mac Shefchunas and Silas Mawdesley. Thank you both for carrying on the mission of Sheepdog Connection so selflessly!

Seeing our children grow up is bittersweet, but there is something special when father and son also relate as adult to adult. When it’s cut short, there’s a hole left where that relationship should be.

Happy birthday to this amazing dad who worked hard on that relationship! Things will never be the same, but Tim honors the relationship he had with Ryan by pouring love and wisdom into generations of young men.

Ryan was a ham. He hated to be the center of attention unless he chose it. And when he did, he was so funny! I am so blessed to be his mom.

As a family, we visited almost all of the 50 states, instilling a love of country in our children. Happy 4th and God bless America!

Bitter or better? We all have choices in life. How we respond to the "tough stuff" determines the quality of our lives. Is it lemons or lemonade? Sheepdog Connection has allowed us to give purpose to our pain by pouring into the lives of young men—building men of character, honor, and faith—and helping fathers and sons build strong relationships.

Three generations of FitzGerald men in 2010.

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing fathers and grandfathers who have built strong families, lasting memories, and relationships that impact future generations... leaving a legacy of love.

Here at Sheepdog Connection, we seek to instill in men young and old the virtues of a Sheepdog. Virtues are inextricably tied to who we are—they are our habits, our thoughts, our behaviors, and our traits. Being protective of those around us is one way we can serve others.

May you have a meaningful Memorial Day.

Remembering our “Sheepdog” Ryan and missing him on Mother’s Day and every day.