Donald Lee Bishop, 65, of Geary, died on April 8, 2026.
A memorial service is being held on Monday, April 13, at 2 p.m., at McNeil’s Funeral Service.
Mr. Bishop was born on Jan. 18, 1961, in Litchfield, to Walter L. and Hester Jane (Williams) Bishop. He graduated from Litchfield High School and attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He later graduated from Sangamon State in Springfield.
After college, he joined the US Air Force, where he served as a pilot and earned the rank of captain. He flew combat missions during Operation Desert Storm and eventually became a test pilot. He spent many years stationed at Tinker Air Force Base. After retiring from the Air Force, he joined the Air Force Reserves and also became a pilot for Southwest Airlines.
On July 29, 1997, Mr. Bishop married Lisa Fiet and blended their families. They enjoyed many wonderful years together.
He was a man of many talents and many interests. He was a cowboy at heart and loved all things western. He was the author of a bookof Western-themed poetry called The Code of the West. A craftsman at heart, he built a chuckwagon made from cedar wood, and it is currently on display at the Lazy E Arena. He could build anything or work on any machine.
Mr. Bishop was a talented businessman and had a keen insight on how to build and scale a business for success. He owned a sawmill. He enjoyed operating heavy equipment, like his favorite skid steer, which he was using to build an airstrip on his property. One of his favorite things to do was moving dirt around.
He also enjoyed playing the guitar and listening to music. He loved oldies and some of his favorite bands were the Eagles and REO Speedwagon. He liked classic cars and had a 1972 International Scout he was proud of.
Mr. Bishop was generous to a fault. He had an uncanny ability to make everyone feel like a friend. He will be deeply missed.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa; sons, Travis Bishop and Tim (Whitlee) Vaughan; daughters, Megan (Brent) Coffett and Caitie (Ben) Dickinson; grandchildren, Alexus Vaughan, Layla Coffelt, Norah Coffelt and Brenna Dickinson; mother, Hester Bishop; sister, Jane Bishop (Bill) Allen; brothers, Charles (Tammy) Bishop, Dale (Becky) Bishop, Glenn (Kim) Bishop and Ben (Cheryl) Bishop; as well as many nieces and nephews; extended family; and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father.
