Marion Lanson Bishop, Sr., born Sept. 5, 1919, in Aucilla, Jefferson County, Florida, went home to the Lord, Tuesday, June 16th, at Ayers Rehabilitation Center, Trenton. He was the second of five sons born to Isham Leonard “Pete” and Georgia Suzannah Holland Bishop. He graduated from Aucilla High School where he was a skilled basketball player and active member of the FFA, serving as chapter president and State FFA officer (1936-37). Marion worked his way through the University of Florida, rooming and milking cows in the dairy barn and waiting tables at a boardinghouse. He participated in rodeos in what is now Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for three years while at UF. President John Tigert gave permission for the rodeos to be held in the stadium, much to the displeasure of the football coach. Graduating in 1941, Marion began teaching agriculture at Laurel Hill, Baker, and Escambia Farms in west Florida. At Laurel Hill he met a pretty high school junior named Mildred Robinette. They eloped on November 12, 1942, and married in the First Baptist Church, Malone, FL Marion and Mildred shared 64 years of marriage until her death in 2006. World War II interrupted Marion’s teaching career when he, and his brother, Emerson, both declined U. S. Navy officer commissions and enlisted. He served on LST 877 in the Pacific Theatre as a Petty Officer 2nd class radarman when radar was top secret technology. During WWII all five of Pete and Georgia’s sons and their cousin, Griffin Bishop who was the “sixth son,” were deployed overseas and all six returned home. After the war Marion continued to teach agriculture and, in 1946, became the agriculture teacher at Newberry High School and, in 1949, he earned his Master of Agriculture degree from UF. He taught at NHS for twelve years before he was recruited to be the Alachua County Schools Vocational Director. He became the Florida Department of Education Area State Supervisor for Manpower and Industrial Education then the Region II Vocational and Adult Education Director, retiring in 1976. Marion received many awards for his work in agriculture and vocational education, most notably the Carl Proehl Award (1978), bestowed upon the Outstanding Vocational Educator in Florida and induction into the FFA Hall of Fame (2009). Marion also held leadership positions in vocational education organizations at county, state, and national levels. He liked helping people get teaching certification as they came directly from industry, without education requirements and often said that his very best work was when he was in the classroom where bonds were forged between him and students that last today. Marion was an active deacon in the First Baptist Church, Newberry, where he served from 1956-2008 and he taught Sunday School for many years. He served on the Alachua County Board of Soil and Water Conservation Board, Alachua County Farm Bureau Board, Bank of Newberry Board, and was a 60 year member and officer of both the American Legion Post 149 and the Ira Carter Masonic Lodge #150. He was also a member of the Morocco Shrine Club. Marion was a lifelong avid fisherman and gardener and, in later years, traveler. Marion’s greatest pride was being “Papa” to his family. He is predeceased by his parents; wife, Mildred; and brothers, Emerson, Rex, and Pete. He is survived by his daughter, Marilyn Robinette Bishop Shaw (Bob); son, Marion Lanson Bishop, Jr. (Lynn); grandsons, Marion Lanson Bishop, III (Tara), Jonathan Chastain Bishop (Teresa), and Mitchell David Bishop (Meghan). He is also survived by four great-grandchildren: Kaiden Lanson Bishop, Jaxson Angelo Bishop, Morgan Dean Bishop and Isla Lynn Bishop. His brother, Marvin Leslie Bishop (Sandra), survives him as well as brother-in-law, Adrian Hammond, sister-in-law, Elaine Hammond Wells (Ron), and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Bishop Brothers’ Endowment Fund, Dept. of Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida, P. O. Box 110540, Gainesville 32611-9988; the Newberry Baptist Church, P. O. Box 309, Newberry, FL 32669; or the Mildred Bishop Scholarship Fund at Ayers Health and Rehabilitation Center, 606 NE 7th Street, Trenton, FL 32693. Visitation will be Friday, June 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Milam’s in Newberry and Celebration Service will be Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church 25520 West Newberry Road, Newberry, FL. A Graveside Service will follow at 2:00 p.m. at the Bishop Cemetery in Aucilla, FL with military honors.
