Obituary: Pauline Hance Bishop

 

Pauline “Polly” Hance Bishop, 89, was born in the Sandy Ridge area near Dandridge, grew up in Chestnut Hill, and attended Maury High School in Dandridge, where she was the captain of the district-winning basketball team in her senior year.

She studied at Draughon’s Business College prior to her marriage to John C. Bishop. The couple met on a bus ride, where he was arriving in Chestnut Hill while designing/building a conveyer system at Bush Bros. Canning Factory and she was leaving to attend business school in Knoxville. Their romance began when John purchased Pauline’s pie at a church “pie supper” for the then huge amount of $5, and she ate pie with the winning bidder. They were married and moved to Oak Ridge, where John had earlier worked at the then World War II secret city.

Pauline was known to her many friends as Polly and to her granddaughter Brigid as MomBish. She was active in her church and in the community. She served in many capacities for Trinity’s Methodist Womens group and sang in the church choir. She was Room Mother for 1st-5th grades while her son attended “old” Linden Elementary and was Den Mother for the Cub Scouts. She sang with the Sweet Adelines, was a member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority, a board member of Oak Ridge Employees Credit Union, and represented the Oak Ridge Credit Unions Association at state meetings in Memphis. Her longest running contribution was her many years of work with the Contact Helpline.

A close friend once said Polly always knew just the right thing to say to make things better, but sometimes all that was needed was the touch of her hand and the warmth of her smile.

She was preceded in death by her husband John C. Bishop, her parents Robert and Grace Hance, and her four older sisters Mary Kate Thornton, Ann Hance, Inez Dockery, and Robbye Wilson.

She is survived by her son John Bishop and granddaughter Brigid Bishop of Oak Ridge.

Join the family in a Receiving of Friends at Kern Memorial United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge on Saturday, May 20, from 4-5:30 p.m., with a short service following.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.