James Bishop

James M. Bishop was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, March 6, 1922. He died February 28, 2017. Services will be held at First United Methodist Church of Glendale, 134 N. Kenwood Street, at 10:00 AM on March 18, 2017.
Jim’s family moved from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Omaha, Nebraska when he was eight years old. He attended grammar school in Omaha and then the family moved to Compton, CA. He attended Willowbrook Jr. High and then on to Compton High School and further to Compton Jr. College. He was offered a job at the Compton School District as Recreation Sports Manager. Jim met, his wife to be, Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Runyen while he was attending Compton Jr. College and they later married April 5, 1941. His wife preceded him in death in 1999.
His uncle H. Allen Wright offered him a job as a Carpenter Apprentice building homes in the Sherman Oaks area of California. He later became a machine operator at the Hi-Duty Piston Co. in Los Angeles. This led to his job as a machinist at the CA Shipbuilding Co. turning the stern tubes for merchant ships. In 1943 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in WWII as a Specialist “A” in charge of organizing athletic programs for the sailors.
Following WWII he completed his college education at Pepperdine College majoring in Physical Education & Recreation and was offered a position with the Glendale Parks & Recreation Department as Supervisor of Sports where he served for the next 28 years retiring in 1977 as the Director of Parks and Recreation. In 1950 he was invited to be an Honorary Member of the Glendale Kiwanis Club in recognition of his organizing the “Sam Barry Memorial Basketball Tournament” which became their annual fund raising event. He later became President of the Kiwanis Club in 1956. He was a founding member of the So. CA Municipal Athletic Federation and became President of this organization in 1959.
Among his accomplishments was serving on the Board of Directors of several Glendale organizations including the Kiwanis Club, YMCA, Salvation Army, Glendale Beautiful, Glendale Community Foundation, and Treasurer of the Glendale Red Cross, Glendale Chapter. He also received the “Liberty Bell” award presented by the Glendale Bar Association. He was very active in the Glendale Old Timers Association Picnic serving as Master of Ceremonies for over 40 years. He enjoyed baseball, and bowling, scoring a 300 at both Verdugo Hills and Jewel City bowl. He leaves two daughters, Bonnie and Joanne, 5 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, one brother, and two sisters.