J. Brooks Bishop, Jr., 82, of Beaumont, went to be with his Lord and Savior Friday, July 2, 2010 at Harbor Hospice House after a brief illness.

A native of Port Arthur, he lived most of his life in the Golden Triangle area of Southeast Texas.  His thirty-nine year professional career at Gulf States Utilities Company consisted of residential and commercial sales and marketing, system marketing and training, development of energy conservation programs, and the promotion of  the greater use of electricity.  Also, he was known for creating and marketing his famous “Bishop Burgers” and Big Dipper Ice Cream” at the South Texas State Fair.  Brooks had a sharp mind for facts, a passion for music and its history, and a keen sense of humor that endeared him to all who knew him.  Mr. Bishop was preceded in death by his wife of forty-six years, Anna Mae; and his parents, J. Brooks “Pat” Bishop, Sr. and Irene Bishop.

Mr. Bishop is survived by his three children, Vikki Lowrey and her husband Jim of Kountze, Karen Pfeiffer and her husband Dennis of Kingwood, and J. Brooks Bishop III and his wife Sallie of Mansfield.  He also is remembered fondly by his six grandchildren, Curtis Lowrey of Pflugerville, Heather Taylor of Lumberton, Eric and Madison Pfeiffer of Kingwood, J. Brooks “Jay” Bishop IV of Dallas, and Nacole Cassidy of Rapid City, South Dakota.  Also left to cherish his memory are six great grandchildren; his life-long friend and dancing partner, Dessie McBride of Atascosita; and numerous relatives and friends.

Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at Wesley United Methodist Church in Beaumont followed by interment at Magnolia Cemetery under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 N. Major Drive, Beaumont.  A gathering of family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Monday evening, July 5, 2010 at Broussard’s.

Memorial contributions may be made to Harbor Hospice Foundation, 2450 North Major Drive, Beaumont, Texas 77706.

80 Years of Memories

Born in Port Arthur, Texas back in 1928,

May 23rd became his official Birth Date.

Irene & J. Brooks, Sr. were truly quite glad,

When on that Spring day, God blessed them with our Dad.

There was no doubt what his name would be,

No need to investigate the old Family Tree.

They’d call him J. Brooks, Jr., just like his Dad,

A very fitting title for a fine young lad.

Remember back in those days, to farm was what folks did,

He lived on Old Voth Road, raising chickens and milking goats as a kid.

Whatever life threw his way would make a firm impression

He never liked those chickens or goats, but they survived the Great Depression!

Brooks graduated in 1945 from French High School,

He entered a post-war world…his future bright as a jewel!

He went to college, worked as a disc jockey, and somewhere along the way,

He met a beautiful lady whose name was Anna Mae.

He married Mom in 1947…together for 46 years,

They faced all the ups and downs of life with many tears & cheers.

Together they had three children, 2 girls and just 1 boy,

Vikki, Karen, & Brooks III brought both of them much joy.

Along the road of life, he served in the Texas Nat’l Guard & Army Reserves,

Thankfully, he didn’t have to go to war, his life so far preserved.

Brooks and Anna Mae were well known legends at the South Texas State Fair,

Selling “Bishop’s Burgers” and ice cream bars, they made a perfect pair.

The Bishop Family loved the beach…sand, sun, & sea

So they picked a plot of land, Crystal Beach it would be.

Mom designed our beach house, and Dad built it on stilts so high,

It was a wonderful family vacation place we called “Bali Hai.”

At Gulf States Utilities, he made his career until 1986,

A profession in sales, he worked really hard…spending time with the family for kicks.

When he finally retired after 39 years, Mom couldn’t have been more thrilled,

Genealogy and travel were hobbies of choice; every hour they managed to fill.

Our family history was very important to both Brooks & Anna Mae,

Being patriotic Texans is how they lived; they’d have it no other way.

Sons & Daughters of the American Revolution & the Texas Republic they came to be,

Brooks is also a Master Mason, and very proud of it is he.

They lived on South Padre Island for a time,

Renting Mopeds, watching the sunset, and sipping drinks with lime.

Mom passed away from Cancer in 1993,

She took her place in heaven, as well it should be.

His life is now filled with family, friends, church and more,

After all, he is the King of Swing-he’s definitely no bore.

His love of music spans form Rhythm and Blues, Western Swing, & all the Big Bands,

With Dessie as his partner, they dance to their favorite music all over the land.

Vikki, Karen, & Brooks III have given him 6 grandkids to brag about,

Curtis, Heather, Jay, Nacole, Eric, & Madison-all great kids no doubt.

These Grandkids wasted no time to expand our family tree,

With Six Great-Grands, Tiffy, Brittnee, Stormy, Adam, Jonathan & Carson who is almost 3!

Now Brooks is turning 80 & that is, of course, why we are here,

To celebrate his birthday and bring him great cheer!

Memories of his lifetime make this party worthwhile,

No matter what life brings to him, we’ll greet it with a smile.

We hope you see how proud we are to call this man our Dad,

He’s been an inspiration to us; for that we’re very glad.

God has blessed our Family in so many ways,

We’ll continue to be thankful for each other throughout our days!

Written in honor of our Dad, J. Brooks Bishop, Jr., on his 80th Birthday