Franklin Charles Bishop

FRANKLIN CHARLES BISHOP

4/2/1929-3/2/2026

96 YEARS AND 11 MONTHS

BORN IN HANNIBAL NY, IN THE FAMILY'S "BRICK HOUSE" TO GEORGE AND MARTHA GRAY BISHOP. HE WAS THE 6TH OF 8 CHILDREN.

HE PASSED AWAY IN THE CARE OF ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND SURROUNDED BY HIS DAUGHTERS WITH LOVE.

HE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS PARENTS, HIS 7 SIBLINGS, HAROLD, BERNARD, JOHN, ESTHER, LUCY, ROBERT AND EDWARD; SON-IN-LAW, JAMES COONS, INFANT GRANDDAUGHTER, 3 NIECES, 2 NEPHEWS, MOTHER OF THEIR CHILDREN, JOAN (RAIBER) BISHOP, AND SPECIAL FRIEND VIRGINIA MORGAN.

HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS DAUGHTERS: JANA (BARRY) HAAS, JULIA COONS, DIANA (BRUCE) CORDES AND LINDA (JOSEPH) HERNANDEZ,

ALSO SURVIVING ARE HIS 11 GRANDCHILDREN: KALLIE, KRISTINA, JEFFREY (REBECCA), JEREMY (EMILY), JEFFREY (GINA), LAURA, MOLLY (GRANT), HANNAH (TIMOTHY), ANDREA (JACOB), ABBY. AND NELSON, AND BONUS "GRANDS" PETER (ROSE), AND SUNDAY.

ADDITIONALLY, HE IS SURVIVED BY 14 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, MANY NIECES, NEPHEWS AND THEIR FAMILIES, TOTALLING MORE THAN 125 FROM HUMBLE FARM BEGINNINGS.

FRANK WAS GRADUATED FROM HANNIBAL HIGH SCHOOL IN 1945 AND CORNELL UNIVERSITY IN 1950.  HE WORKED FOR FARM COOPERATIVES BEFORE HE BECAME SELF-EMPLOYED.  HE WAS KNOWN AS "TAXMAN" FOR OVER 50 YEARS IN MANLIUS AND FLORIDA, RETIRING IN 2023. HE WAS ALSO KNOWN AS "WOODMAN" AND A REAL ESTATE AGENT.

HE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, WANTING TO LEAVE THE WORLD IN THE HEALTHIEST WAY POSSIBLE FOR HIS "GRANDS" AND "GREATS" AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. HIS GOAL TO PLANT 10,000 TREES WAS NEARLY MET BY ORGANIZING TREE PLANTING PARTIES AND TEACHING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES HOW TO PLANT AND SUPPORT TREE SEEDLINGS TO THEIR FULL SIZE.  HE NEVER STOPPED GROWING FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES, SELLING AT FARMERS' MARKETS UNTIL HE WAS 95.

HE LOVED HIS FAMILY, AND HAD A FAMILY HISTORY STORY TO SHARE WITH ANYONE WHO WAS WILLING TO LISTEN. HE WAS HARDWORKING, GENEROUS TO A FAULT, WAS WITTY WITH A DISTINCTIVE SMIRK WHEN HE WAS TEASING SOMEBODY, HAD THE BISHOP "MATH MIND" AND NEVER STOPPED LEARNING OR BECOMING EXCITED ABOUT A NEW IDEA.   HE WAS CIVIC-MINDED, VOLUNTEERED FOR MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND HIS CHURCHES , COULDN'T CARRY A TUNE IN A BUCKET, BUT LOVED MUSIC AND SUPPORTED ASPIRING ARTISTS. HE WAS THE LAST BRANCH OF HIS GENERATION'S TREE.

VISITATION WILL BE SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2026 AT 1PM WITH A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOLLOWING AT 2PM AT THE MANLIUS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 111 WESLEY ST, MANLIUS NY, 13104.

THE FAMILY REQUESTS YOU PLANT A TREE IN HIS MEMORY OR MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHURCH. 

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