Brett Owen Bishop, 78, passed away on June 6, 2023, after a valiant fight with cancer. He was born on March 11, 1945, to James and Erica Bishop in Manhattan, KS.
Brett is predeceased by brother, James Denver Bishop, Jr; father, James Denver Bishop, Sr; and mother, Erica Weinmeister Bishop. He is survived by his wife, Doris of Junction City, KS; son, James of Orlando, FL; son, Michael (Sunny); grandchildren, Vivienne and Jaxson of Honolulu, HI; and sister, Patricia (Carl) of Seattle, WA.
Brett grew up in rural Nebraska. Part of his childhood was spent in “old” and “new” Republican City. The building of Harlan County Dam required that the town be moved a few miles to the northeast. Hunting, fishing, and Nebraska football games were pastimes. He attended Shattuck Military Academy in Faribault, MN, and joined the United States Army afterwards in February 1964. He served in Korea; had several tours in Vietnam, where he received a purple heart; and had several tours in Germany. He met his wife, Doris Heinle in the Spring of ‘79 at a restaurant in Augsburg while serving in Germany. They had two sons, James and Michael.
Both sons graduated from Junction City High School. Michael is actively serving in the United States Air Force (17 years) as a Master Sergeant with the 647th Civil Engineer Squadron and James is a Software Support Specialist for Cushman & Wakefield (16 years), actively serving as a Pavements & Equipment Operator in the Florida Air National Guard as a Technical Sergeant with the 202nd RED HORSE Squadron (8 years) and the Treasurer of his local Home Owners Association.
Brett retired as a 1st Sergeant from the U.S. Army in 1984, and later became a government civil servant on the artillery range at Fort Riley. He was an involved father driving the boys to their football games, countless wrestling matches and track meets around the state, all to the tunes of Neil Diamond.
Brett and Doris stayed in the Junction City area for many reasons, but his love for drag racing kept him grounded to the soil he knew best. His claim to fame was when his dragster broke the IHRA elapsed time World Record in 1972 and 1973. He also had a love for old Ford Fairlanes, which would explain why he was not too pleased when his sister wrecked his ‘67 Fairlane when they were younger. Most recently, he proudly showed off his ‘66 Fairlane any chance he got and won numerous car show events. When not "messing" with cars, he was an avid pool player in his pastime.
He was the type of father that believed in tough love and didn’t tolerate any nonsense. He had a deep voice and stern demeanor that commanded respect. He took pride in providing for his family and teaching his kids the value of hard work and discipline
Growing up with him could be challenging at times, but his love was unwavering. He was always offering guidance and advice, even if it wasn’t what we wanted to hear. He taught us to stand up for ourselves and to never settle for less than we deserved.
Despite his tough exterior, he had a tender heart that he often showed in small ways. Whether it was going on road trips through the Black Hills and stopping at every Go-Kart track there was along the way, fishing trips to Council Grove and baiting our first hook with minnows , the occasional shalacking he gave us by running the table in a game of 8-Ball or a welcome home lunch at Texas Roadhouse, he always found ways to show his love.
As we got older, we began to appreciate all that he had done for us and the sacrifices he had made to make sure we were well taken care of. Although he may not have been the warmest or most affectionate father, he showed his love through his actions and his unwavering commitment to our family.
Overall, Brett tried his best to be a good husband and provider for our family. In recent years, he's become more open and affectionate to me since his cancer diagnosis, which I truly appreciate.
We've learned to communicate better and find ways to enjoy our time together as a married couple of nearly 44 years. Marriage is not always easy, but it's worth working through the challenges and growing together. I will always love Brett and am grateful of our life together till the end.
Brett was a member of the DAV, Eagles 830, and American Legion Post 45.
A memorial service will be held at Johnson Funeral Home, 203 N Washington St, Junction City, KS, on June 23rd at 12 p.m.