Obituary of Ethel Leona Bishop
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Ethel “Leona” Bishop, 96, of Madison, passed away peacefully on July 8, 2025, at her home, surrounded by her loving daughters.
Leona was born on January 19, 1929, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, to Lewis Wayne Pool and Doris Gelda Kramer Pool. On June 18, 1948, she married the love of her life, Richard "Dick" Bishop. Together they raised two daughters and built a life centered around family and creativity.
Leona moved to Madison in 2005 and became a devoted member of Madison Methodist Church. She had a remarkable creative spirit-an accomplished artist who painted cherished portraits of her family, a fashion designer who crafted garments from a variety of materials, and a singer with a voice as beautiful as a songbird’s. She found deep joy in nature, tending to her garden and flowers with care and devotion.
Leona will be remembered for her warmth, generosity, and open heart. She was a nurturing figure not only to her own family but also to many others. She was, to many, a beloved second mother.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard W. “Dick” Bishop; her parents; and her siblings: Alfred Pool, Mary Louise Snyder, Edwin Pool, Roy Pool, and Esther Merwine.
Leona is survived by her daughters, Cathleen Bishop Navarrette of Madison and Janine Bishop Palmertree of Greenwood, MS; grandchildren, Laura Burrow of Moss Point, MS, and Brian Navarrette of Pascagoula, MS, Kelly Martin (Patrick) of Greenwood, MS, and Christopher Palmertree of Carrolton, MS; great-grandchildren, Wesley Burrow of Salt Lake City, UT, Cadie Burrow, Bella Burrow of Winder, GA, Curtis Navarrette of Pascagoula, MS, Michael Martin of Greenwood, MS and Mason Martin of Greenwood, MS; and her sister, Carol Pool Bare (Larry) of Upper Sandusky, OH.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Madison Methodist Church, Madison, MS, the American Lung Association: https://action.lung.org or the National MS Society, Mississippi Chapter.