Colonel (R) Lewis "Skip" Bishop Jr.

Skip is the second child of Lewis Moore Bishop Sr. and Eugenia Harte Bishop. He was born in the Navy housing dispensary in Norfolk, Virginia on June 4th 1944. He and his mother received superb care because his father, a Navy Chief, had procured an FM radio two days before he was born. They had the only radio available in the clinic on June 6th, (D-Day). He loved telling people he was the most popular baby born in Norfolk that week.

Skip graduated from Norview High School in Norfolk in 1962. It was at Norview that he met the love of his life Sheila Coreno. Skip played football at Norview for 4 years. He loved the sport so much he went on to continue playing while he attended Gordon Military College in Georgia. He then spent a year playing football at UNC in Chapel Hill. While he was only at UNC for one year, he was a lifelong Tarheel. During his time at UNC, Skip got tired of people telling him what to do, so he showed them, he joined the Army!

Skip found a home in the Army. He graduated from Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, SC and was selected to attend the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School (OSC) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma where was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in September of 1966. Following OCS, he and Sheila were married in Norfolk, Virginia. They moved to Fort Riley Kansas where he was a Launcher Section Commander in A Battery, 5th Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery. Skip served in Vietnam with the 29th Field Artillery as a Forward Observer, Executive Officer and Battery Commander. He then commanded C Battery, 1st Battalion (Pershing), 81st Artillery in Germany where he also served as Battalion Operations and Training Officer and was the Intelligence Officer. His follow-on assignment was at Fort Bragg, NC where he performed duties as Liaison Officer, Battery Commander of A Battery 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, and as an Operations Officer, 18th Corps Artillery. His next assignment was as a Field Artillery Branch Advisor at the 6th Readiness Region, Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Skip returned to Europe in 1980 where he served as Battalion Executive Officer of the 3rd Battalion (Pershing), 84th Field Artillery, Brigade Operations Officer and later Chief of Staff of the 56th Field Artillery Brigade (Pershing). From 1983 to 1985, he commanded the 1st Battalion, 81st Field Artillery (Pershing) in Neu Ulm, Germany.

Next Skip became the DCSRA System Coordinator, Department of the Army and SIOP Adviser, Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, DC. He commanded the 214th Field Artillery Brigade at Fort Sill, Oklahoma from 1989 to 1991. In 1991, he assumed the duties of the Deputy Assistant Commandant, U.S. Army Field Artillery School. He then became the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations at Third U.S. Army/ARCENT in July 1992 at Fort McPherson, GA.

Skip retired from the Army as a Colonel in 1994. He was a private man about the many recognitions and awards that he had accomplished over his 29-year military career. So much so that his family only found out about some in very recent years. When asked about his Bronze Star with V device his humble response was “I got stuck on a hill”. But it is the award letter that tells the true story from August of 1968:

…For twelve hours, Lieutenant Bishop held his position to keep the devastating artillery fire on the enemy. He unhesitatingly exposed himself to enemy fire to move the wounded to positions of safety while directing artillery and Air Force gunships contributed immensely toward the first base’s defense. First Lieutenant Bishop’s extraordinary courage, professional skill, and exemplary devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

During his time in the Army, he was recognized with the Legion of Merit-3, Bronze Star Medal with V Device, Bronze Star Medal-2, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Meritorious Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal-2, Vietnam Service Medal-2, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm. Additionally, Skip was inducted into the Artillery OCS Hall of Fame.

After the Army, Skip joined ITT Industries as the Deputy Project Director of Camp Doha Kuwait. Skip was active in the American Business Council of Kuwait and was the organization’s President for two years. In 2000, Skip and family returned to the United States where Skip became the Deputy Director, International Business Development with ITT Industries, Aerospace Communications Division in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Here Skip traveled extensively and managed the Middle Eastern, South American, and North African markets.

Over the course of his career, Skip valued continuing his education. Skip is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the National War College. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cameron University and a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.

Skip officially retired in 2010 and moved to Apex, North Carolina. In retirement, Skip kept busy by volunteering for several years with the Apex Rotary. He loved to walk the greenway trails in the area and was an active participant in the sport shooting community. More than anything he loved spending time with his family, especially pursuing the best doughnuts in the Triangle area and playing checkers with his grandson, Owen.

Skip loved to travel and had been to over 40 countries – though he would be the first to admit much of that travel was while at work. He was renowned for his sense of humor, kindness and love of laughter. He had a big personality and loved to talk to people – even in his last days there was not a person he met that he didn’t ask how they were or where they were from.

In addition to his parents, Skip was preceded in death by his sister, Barbara “Bobbie” Caruana and his brother, Charles “Chuck” Joseph Bishop.

Skip is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Sheila Coreno Bishop; two daughters: Amy Bishop of Alexandria, VA and Katy Breitenbach and husband, Tom Breitenbach, and grandson, Owen Breitenbach of Holly Springs, NC; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A visitation will be held December 16th, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Apex Funeral Home, 550 W. Williams St., Apex, NC 27502.

A funeral mass will be held December 17th, 2024 at 11:00 AM at St. Mary Magdalene Church, 725 Magdala Pl., Apex, NC 27502 with a reception to follow at the Halle Cultural Arts Center at 237 N Salem Street, Apex, NC 27502 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM.

A burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date.

In lieu of flowers Skip has asked that friends and family make donations in his name to causes dear to his heart – the United Service Organizations (USO, https://www.uso.org/) or the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/).