Jack Bishop

Jack Conrad Bishop, 94, passed away peacefully Saturday, December 13, 2025.

Mr. Bishop was born in Landrum, SC, to the late Roy and Madge Hamrick Bishop. He was also preceded in death by his first wife of 51 years and the mother of his four children, Vivian Bryant Bishop, and three brothers, Bob Bishop, Rodger Bishop and Jerry Bishop.

Jack was a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Veteran serving 21 years. He was a member of West Asheville Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Norton Bishop; four children, Jack "Chip" Bishop, Jr. (Phyllis), Michael Bishop (Lori), Betsy Bishop Knox (Jack) and Kevin Bishop (Sherri); nine grandchildren, Claire, Michael, Christopher, Gerald, Jack, Quinn, Anna, Sara and Zachary and seven great granddaughters, Melody, Vivian, Genevieve, Celeste, Harper, Evie, and Esriella. He was also survived shortly by his sister who has now passed as well, Joan Lawson.

As a husband, dad, granddaddy, and great-granddaddy, he loved laughter and games and church and work projects and puzzles and camping and singing and yard work and neighbors. He was a leader in the Air Force as a Fire Chief, a leader working later with National Welding, a leader at church and in the neighborhood and at home. He prayed with the softest of voices but could roar like a lion for the Summerville Greenwave football team!

Among the many lessons in life he provided for the Bishop children were a love of camping in the mountains, (backpacking into his 70's), a work ethic of doing one's best and providing for the family (he often went to a night job off base after finishing his day shift), taking things apart that didn't work to find out why and putting those things back together so they did work, the importance of education that led to all four children graduating from college, and a reverence for holiness.

He began proudly saluting every USA flag he ever saw as an Air Force enlisted man and never stopped, getting up and standing at attention even at 94 for the National Anthem on tv. His journey in the service took him to Michigan where he had to hitch hike back home to SC to get warm again. He said he only got colder later when he served a tour in Alaska and two tours in Thule, Greenland (with Orlando in between). Finally, he was stationed at Charleston SC and then the Azores where his wife and children could accompany him and live on base. Though his military duties were demanding, he somehow developed championship skills at horseshoes, ping pong, billiards, and softball. Only golf kept him humble.

He was the smartest man we knew with only an 8th grade education who'd quit school to farm and work in the cotton mill to help his family. He read newspapers thoroughly and assembly instructions seldomly. Mostly, he loved his family and would travel near and far to visit and play yet another round of Shanghai Rummy. His love and faith were deep and abiding and will be forever with us.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at West Asheville Baptist Church with Pastor Tony Hooper officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the church.

Burial will follow the next day on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Greenwood Memorial Gardens in Greenwood, SC.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to either the Wounded Warrior Project or to Samaritan's Purse.