Robert Louis Bishop

It is with deeply saddened hearts that we are announcing the passing of our father, Robert (Bob) L. Bishop. In the early evening of August 13th 2012, Dad passed away with great dignity, and on his own terms, after battling a sudden heart condition. He was surrounded by his family as he decided it was “time to go be with Mom”. Dad enjoyed 88 wonderful years, during which time he touched the lives of many, many people, bringing along a smile and his genuine friendship. Bob was born 5-10-1924 in Crabtree, OR to Louis Bishop and Clara (Kempf) Bishop. He was the youngest of their 5 children. Before reaching school age, Bob and his family moved to Mullan, ID. Some of Bob’s favorite memories were from his youth in Mullan: riding his bicycle down the large hills in town, playing sports for the local schools, spending care-free summers with family friends in Montana and hunting in the hills outside of town. Bob was proud of being a Mullan Tiger. Unfortunately, he did not get to walk at graduation with his fellow classmates due to World War Two. He had signed up for the Navy and was sent to basic training after his classes were over. Bob was one of several Tigers who entered the Navy right out of high school. After completing naval training, Bob was assigned to the USS Missouri, which was commissioned June11th 1944. Bob was a gunner on board the ship, and saw quite a bit of action as part of the US fleet fighting in the south pacific. He was on board the ship during the signing of the surrender by the Japanese on September 5th, 1945; he appreciated being able to witness this slice of history in the making. Throughout the rest of his life, Bob remained active with the USS Missouri Foundation. He participated in ceremonies on the Missouri when it was located in Bremerton, WA; he traveled to Pearl Harbor when the ship was brought there to become a floating museum. A recording of Bob’s voice is part of the tour on board the Missouri to this day. He also attended several USS Missouri reunions over the years. After World War 2, Bob was homesick for Idaho. He came home and enrolled into the University of Idaho, where he met his wife, Shirley. The two of them enjoyed telling the story of how Bob spied raven haired beauty at a dance who was having the trouble with a leaky cider cup. This young lady, Shirley, came to the dance with another gentleman, but Bob just had to introduce himself. They both grew up in Mullan; Shirley enjoying talking to the handsome young man from her home town, a place she missed very much. Bob graduated the University of Idaho the spring after he started dating Shirley. They became engaged shortly thereafter, and married in November of 1950. Bob and Shirley raised three children, Lynn, Andy and Lisa. They lived in several different states over the years, but they eventually settled down in Renton, WA, to be near extended family. All three of their children graduated from Kentridge High School and went on to settle in Western Washington. It was during their years in Renton that Bob and Shirley developed a great love for golfing. They spent many happy hours out on the golf course, and enjoyed trips around the country centered around golf. Both Bob and Shirley held leadership positions at Fairwood Golf and Country Club. In their later years, their love of golf motivated them to settle near Brookdale Golf Course in Tacoma, WA. Bob and Shirley also enjoyed travelling. Some of their favorite trips included golfing in Hawaii, travelling to Arizona in their 5th wheel and cruising through the Panama Canal in celebration of their 50thAnniversary. The trip of their lifetime, however, was the time they spent in Chili. They travelled to Chili for Bob’s job and loved every minute of it. Everyone who knew Bob said he was always smiling and was incredibly sharp for his age. He attributed his good nature and good health to staying active. He worked full time right up until the end of his life. He was an avid hunter and fisherman well into his 80s. He played golf until a couple of years ago. Every summer he grew a vegetable garden, although he would start each spring by telling Shirley he would only plant one zucchini plant. No one was surprised, however, by the 5 or 6 zucchini plants that managed to sprout up in his garden, providing zucchini squash for the whole neighborhood. The legacy Bob and Shirley leave behind is their love for their family. Besides their three children, Lynn (Mike), Andy (Nancy) and Lisa (Jeff), their 18 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren held a special place in their hearts. Bob shared with his family how much he loved them—as his time wound down, he said, “I’ve had a great life and come from a great family.” It was an incredibly touching moment. We encourage everyone to direct their donations to either the USS Missouri Memorial fund or the Mullan, Idaho High School scholarship fund on behalf of Robert L. and Shirley J. Bishop. USS Missouri Memorial Association 63 Cowpens Street Honolulu, HI 96818-5006 Mullan High School Robert L. and Shirley J. Bishop Scholarship c/o Crystal Goldade 325 Park St. Mullan, ID 83846. Bob’s memorial service will be at Tahoma National Cemetery 18600 SE 240th St, Kent, WA 98042, on Sept 14th, 2012, at 1:30 pm. Attendees should plan to arrive around 1:10pm to line up for the procession to the memorial site. A reception will follow after the service.