Shirley M. Bishop - Obituary

amily and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Shirley M. Bishop at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 16, 2017, at Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater. The celebration will continue with a memorial service at noon. Mrs. Bishop died at home in the arms of her family on November 22, 2017, after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was 74. Born on February 28, 1943, in Radford, Virginia, she and her husband came to Maryland in 1968 to make a good life for their children. A multi-talented woman, Mrs. Bishop enjoyed a variety of careers and interests during her lifetime. She excelled as an Avon representative in the 1970s, and then became a professional cake decorator. She was well known in the Annapolis area for her beautiful creations and for her party case at Baskin Robbins. She was regularly featured in their newspaper ads. Mrs. Bishop was educated at Fleet Business School and Anne Arundel Community College, and later went to work as a financial analyst for Partnership Valuations and then for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. She currently served as Commission Coordinator and Executive Assistant for the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission, where she worked for more than 20 years. She was proud of her work with the Commission due to her love and appreciation for the beauty of Maryland beaches and waterways. She received a Governor’s Citation in honor of her outstanding service posthumously. She had many interests during her lifetime, but most important to her were her children and grandchildren. She was a devoted mother and grandmother and not only gave them many opportunities; she cultivated and celebrated their love for music and the arts. She volunteered and participated in activities at her children’s school and in Girl Scouts for several years. Mrs. Bishop especially enjoyed the holidays and creating confections for family and friends. She was known for her gingerbread houses and gingerbread men, and for her cakes. She made the holidays very special for her family, not only at Christmas, but also on Halloween by making handmade costumes for her children every year. During her younger years, she enjoyed spending time at the beach in the Epping Forest community, where she formerly lived, playing tennis and crocheting. Mrs. Bishop currently attended services at Church on the Rock in Millersville. She formerly attended Weems Creek Baptist Church when her children were in Sunday school there and in years after. She also formerly attended Chesapeake Christian Fellowship and Van Buren Street Baptist Church at very significant times in her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arnold and Virginia Whitaker; one brother, John Whitaker; and two sisters, Emma Jane Hawley and Arlene Whitaker Chapman. Survivors include her husband, Robert “Bob” Bishop; two beloved daughters, Cheryl Jasper and her husband, Kim, of Glen Burnie, and Bobbi Bishop of Annapolis; one brother, Charles Whitaker of Virginia; one sister, Anna Lee Kirk of Virginia; two grandsons, Joshua Figueroa of New Mexico and Tony Figueroa of Edgewater; and many nieces and nephews. Interment will be private. Mrs. Bishop and her family enjoyed and took hope from attending the Living Life in Full Bloom National Cancer Survivors Day events at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To inspire hope in the lives of other cancer patients by helping continue these events, memorial contributions may be made in her name to the DeCesaris Cancer Institute Survivorship Program, 2001 Medical Parkway, Donner Pavilion, Annapolis, Maryland 21401. The family offers our many thanks to the medical professionals who gave her so many extra years with us. These dedicated doctors and nurses have become an important part of our family over the years. On line condolences can be given by clicking on the link to the left of this page.