Barry Bishop

Barry was born November 8, 1942 to Grace and Curtis Bishop. Barry graduated from S.F. Austin High School in 1960, The University of Texas in 1964, and The University of Texas Law School in 1967. Barry dutifully served his country in the National Guard in 1961-62 defending Ft. Ord Pebble Beach Country Club from surprise attack by the Cubans. In law school, Barry was Associate Editor of the Texas Law Review. Barry served as briefing attorney to the Honorable Joe Greenhill, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas from 1967 to 1968. In 1968, Barry joined the law firm of Clark Thomas & Winters and practiced law at Clark Thomas for 42 years until his recent retirement for health reasons. Barry was board certified in Civil Trial Law and Civil Appellate Law, and his colleagues held him in the highest personal and professional esteem for his honesty, congeniality, sense of reason, and, of course, his sense of humor. Barry learned many things and acquired great wisdom practicing in front of Judge Charlie Matthews, Judge Herman Jones, and Judge Jerry Dellana who loved Barry like a son. During his career at Clark Thomas & Winters, Barry had the good fortune and pleasure of having Donald Thomas, John Coates, Mary Jo Carroll, and others as mentors and friends. Barry also had the good fortune to work with and to have the loyal friendship of many extraordinary and honorable partners at Clark Thomas & Winters, including his lifelong friends Larry McNeill, David Duggins, Mike Cotten, Conrad Werkenthin, Barham Bratton, Tom Curtis, and many others. The Clark Thomas firm was family to Barry and he took immense happiness in the many friendships he had over the Clark Thomas years and much pride in the extraordinary accomplishments of the firm. Clark Thomas stood by Barry honorably throughout.

In addition to his friendships within the Clark Thomas firm, Barry also had many lifetime friendships and family at the Austin Country Club where he was a member for 44 years. Barry played golf every week at Austin County Club for 44 years and was known – and loved – throughout the club. Barry regaled his friends for years with his unique and witty insight and perspective as to the challenges of golf, and on politics and current events. There were few pleasures that Barry enjoyed more than the company and the satisfaction of beating Skipper White, Ron Marshall, Mike Edgar, Dale McConnell, Ty Willis, Buddy Fults, Scottie Schieffer, Tim Herman, or Barry's personal physician, Dr. Lewis Hanks out of a few dollars on the golf course. Those who were fortunate to have played golf with Barry over the years enjoyed hearty laughs every time Barry would banish yet another misbehaving or non-compliant putter to a time out in the trunk, or announced that he had found another cure for the "yips". Barry spent many of his later years searching for just ten more yards off the tee, and cursing Jim Lyle who Barry believed designed the Austin Country Club golf course specifically to shorten Barry's game. Barry talked to God a lot at the golf course.

Barry grew up on Bonnie Road in west Austin in simpler but wonderfully happy times. The neighborhood rat pack in that time connected by bicycle and foot, and included Mike Jarrell, Bobby Peoples, the Fainter brothers, the Kuempel brothers, the Mason brothers, the Silverstone brothers, three-putt Edgar, and those squirrely Eakin boys. One street over on Bridle Path, there were the Petri brothers, the Greenhill brothers, the Longoria brothers, Bill Marshall, Dean Greenwood (before he was rich), Bill Mobley, and Mark Nugent. According to Barry, the intellectuals lived another street over on Cherry Lane: Worth and Suitcase Simpson, Bruce Maxwell, and Barry's lifelong friend (and gaming benefactor) Skipper. Barry played little league sports on teams coached by his father Curt, and later stepped in as coach and father to youngest brother Brian after Curt passed. Some years later after Curt passed, Barry was coach and father to the youngest brother Brian. The friendships from Barry and Curt's Polar Cubs little league baseball team, his Lion's Muny golf course companions, his O'Henry/Austin High golf team, and his Bonnie Road pack lasted his entire lifetime, and most of the Bonnie Road kids went on to exceed everybody's very low expectations. If the measure of a man's wealth was the number, duration, breadth, and depth of his friendships, Barry was truly one of the wealthiest men who ever lived.

Barry especially loved being grandfather to his grandchildren Caroline, Cameron and Braydon – who he adored. He enjoyed seeing his son Bill develop into an excellent and accomplished trial lawyer, prosecutor, and father. Barry was very proud of Bill and of his grandchildren.

Barry left us too soon, but he left us with many happy memories, and our lives are richer because of his friendship, his sense of humor, his political and social commentary, and the time we had with him.

Barry is survived by his wife Linda, his son Bill and wife Heather and their daughters Caroline and Cameron; step-children Bart Harris and his wife Bernadette and their children Braydon and Tyler, Matt Harris, and Dwayne Gregory; Barry's brothers; Burk Bishop and his wife Judy, Brian Bishop, and sister Barbee Cox and her husband Randy. Barry is also survived by a lifetime of friends who will remember his wit, his warmth, and his wonderful and genuine soul.

There will be a memorial service Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 12:00 noon at the Austin Country Club to commemorate Barry's rich life.