Mary Frances Bishop's Obituary
Mary Frances Bishop, age 92, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on April 10, 2025, at the Heritage Woods Senior Living Center in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Mary was born October 19, 1932, to Stanley and Gertrude (Somers) Peck in Chicago, Illinois. She moved frequently in her youth having significant periods where she lived with some maternal aunts and uncles, as well as following her step-father’s Coast Guard station assignments in: Cleveland, Ohio; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; and finally Grand Haven, Michigan during her Senior year in high school. She met and later married Robert (“Bob”) Bishop in Spring Lake, Michigan on April 18, 1953, and enjoyed 53 years of marriage together.
After graduation from Grand Haven High School in 1950, Mary worked as a secretary-bookkeeper for Michigan Plastic Products for 6 years. She then worked as a bookkeeper for Haven Motor Supply for 18 years and finished her working years as an Administrative Secretary at the Ottawa County (Michigan) Sheriff Department. She also was a Deputy Clerk at the Grand Haven Township Hall helping to set up the first office in the Township Hall building.
Mary was active in various churches in 4 different states (Michigan, South Carolina, Ohio and Florida) where she served at one time or another as: support for over seas missionary work; fund raising through pizza making; Sunday School superintendent; accompanist for youth choirs; secretary in the church office; playing in bell choir; and sang in the church choir. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Appleton at the time of her passing.
Mary loved being a Mom, “Gram(ma)” and “GG” (great grandmother). As such, she was: a Cub Scout Den Mother; an Eagle Boy Scout Mother and Grandmother; Elementary School Room Mother; made out of state trips to almost all of her grandkid’s high school and college graduations and their weddings, as well as her eldest great grandchild’s christening. FaceTime phone calls with family members were a source of communication. Many family pictures and great grandchildren’s artwork adorned her room’s walls.
Mary enjoyed cooking/baking, singing, playing her home organ, reading mystery novels, doing word and jigsaw puzzles, hosting and attending neighborhood coffee and tea breaks, watching Michigan State basketball and football games, playing cards, occasional trips to a casino, and traveling with family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her father in 1934 and mother in 1978; step-father Bruno Konieczka in 1989; and her husband in 2006.
She is survived by: sons, Bruce Bishop (Karen Aspenson) of Ferrysburg, Michigan and Thomas (Julie) Bishop of Poy Sippi, Wisconsin; grandchildren, Eric (Katie) Bishop of Akron, New York, Anne (Sean) DePugh of Vestal, New York, Brandt (Hayley) Bishop of DePere, Wisconsin and Chelsea (Tony) Heckathorn of Rochester Hills, Michigan; great grandchildren, Matthew and Owen Bishop, Carter and Miles DePugh and Adalynn Bishop.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to ThedaCare Hospice at Heritage Woods Senior Living Facility and/or the Memorial Funds of First United Methodist Church in Appleton or United Methodist Church of the Dunes in Grand Haven. The family would like to thank the staff at Heritage Woods for the loving care Mary received.
Services will be at 11:00am EST on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at The VanZantwick Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 620 Washington Ave., Grand Haven, MI 49417. Rev. Diane Gordon will be officiating. The family will visit with family and friends 1 hour prior to the service. Burial will be a private affair with the family at the Spring Lake Cemetery. Share memories with the family at their online guest book at www.sytsemafh.com
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