Eugene F. “Gene” Bishop, age 76, of Chester, died Wednesday afternoon, January 20, 2016, after suffering a heart attack while working with his friends at the Chester Transfer Station. He had been the devoted husband of Susan (Saunders) Bishop for 37 years.
Gene was born in New London, CT, and raised in Natick, son of the late Valma S. (Soisalo Bishop) and William H. Brocklebank. Gene was a 1956 graduate of Natick High School and continued his education briefly at Northeastern prior to concentrating on electronics.
Establishing Gene’s Radio, he was to continue working with electronics to varying degrees throughout his life. He was hired by the Natick Fire Department, and remained with them for 37 years, retiring as Superintendent of Communications. Among his tasks were overseeing computer installations and in house training, maintaining traffic signals, and keeping abreast of electrical hazards in the town. He hung the Christmas lights on the Common for many years. When pagers entered the market, he started a paging company and introduced alphanumeric pagers to dramatically cut response times for emergency personnel. He also worked with J.E. Guertin & Company. Gene was a Past Captain of the Natick Auxiliary Police Department, Past Treasurer of the International Association of Firefighters AFL-CIO, and a longtime Natick Town Meeting member. An avid photographer, he also enjoyed listening to many different genres of music.
He and his wife Susan retired to Chester in 2005. Never one to be idle, he became Chairman of the Board of Selectman, Chairman of the Electric Light Board, Town Moderator, a Town Assessor, and Supervisor of the Chester Transfer Station. In his teens, Gene had the opportunity to demonstrate Lionel model trains at the Jordan Marsh Store in Downtown Crossing. His excitement never waned and he looked forward to working at the annual Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show at the Big E fairgrounds in Springfield.
He is survived by Susan; five children, John F. Bishop of Uxbridge, Lisa R. Festa and her husband Jerry of Ashland, Robin M. Janse of Ashland, Linda R. Lam and her husband Derek of Powder Springs, GA, and Diana L. Palmer and her husband Stephen of Cromwell, CT; eight grandchildren, Amanda, Jessica, Johnny, Nicole, Jason, Melanie, William, and Tyler; four great-grandchildren, Connor, Emma, Nathan, and Jaiden; his former wife and friend, Gloria (Mudgett) Lewis and her husband Walter of Natick; his step-sisters, Della Brennan of Maine, Carrie Maker of FL; a step-sister-in-law, Julia Brocklebank of Falmouth; and many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Saint Patrick’s Church, 44 East Central Street, Natick, on Monday, January 25th at 10:00AM. Burial will follow at Saint Patrick Cemetery.
Visiting hours will be in the John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park Street at Natick Common, on Sunday, 2 - 6PM.
Relatives and friends are also invited to join Gene’s family at a Memorial Gathering on Wednesday, January 27th at 2:00PM at the Chester Railway Station, 10 Prospect Street, Chester.
Donations may be made in Gene’s memory to the Natick Firefighter’s Mutual Relief Association, 22 East Central Street, Natick, MA 01760, or Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.