On Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014, at 2:20 a.m., Brenda Gayle Bishop, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, transitioned from this mortal life at her home after years of illness and suffering, free at last to join Christ. She slipped away quietly and peacefully, cradled in the arms of her true love. Funeral: 1:30 p.m. Monday in Greenwood Chapel. Interment: Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Greenwood. Born Nov. 14, 1951, in Anniston, Ala., Brenda was a bright and beautiful human being, both inside and out, endowed with an uncommon wisdom from a very early age. People, even strangers, were drawn to her, many of whom would open up and tell her more things about themselves in a few minutes than someone else might learn in years, if ever. Many sought her counsel. Strong-willed and high-minded, she was unafraid to share her insights, which more often than not were on target. She was a keen judge of character and seemed to possess the ability to peer into another's heart. She was indeed an Old Soul. She was a voracious reader and soaked up knowledge like a sponge. God only knows how many paths she could have picked from, and the heights she could have reached. But she chose instead to be a wife and mother. She was the bedrock upon which the family rested. She excelled as a homemaker, maintaining order and beauty up until her health seriously started failing in 2004. Signs of her spirit are reflected throughout the home as testimony to her talents. In 1985, while living in Houston, she became a sought after floral designer and manager, and eventually a top sales rep for a major, high-end fragrance company. When the family moved back to Fort Worth in 1992, the company specifically created a position for her as an executive account coordinator for all the Foley's Department stores in the DFW Metroplex, a job she held until health issues sidelined her a couple of years later. She and her husband, Bobby, shared a life together for almost 42 years, beginning on Christmas Eve 1972. Over the intervening time from then to now, enough happened to fill a book, which it did. Through it all, she never stopped loving. To those fortunate enough to have met her, and subsequently had their lives touched and changed, we know you share in our grief and loss. 'THOUGH LOVERS BE LOST LOVE SHALL NOT; AND DEATH SHALL HAVE NO DOMINION.' Brenda was preceded in death by her daughter-in-law, Wreath Bishop; mother and stepfather, Faye and Don Markovitz; father, Hubert Walker; and grandchild, Kylee Bishop. Survivors: Husband, Bobby; sons, Larry and Christopher Bishop; daughter, Ena Shippen; grandchildren, Andrew Bishop, Sanger Davidson, Abbie, Hanna, Kierstan, Christian and Kierra Bishop; brother, Jerry Hansen and wife, Shirley; brother, Jimmy Crim and wife, Judy; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Published in Star-Telegram on Nov. 29, 2014