Hal Douglas Bishop, M.D., 86, passed from life while in hospice care at Baptist Memorial Hospital on Saturday, 25 Nov. 2023 with his loving wife and precious friends at his bedside. He donated his body to the Genesis Legacy Program for medical research. A memorial service honoring his life was held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, 9 December in the sanctuary of Lindenwood Christian Church, where he and Peggy worshiped for 30 years. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, or Lindenwood Christian Church.
He was born in Jackson, the son of Roy Douglas Bishop and Clara Agnes Pitts. He grew up in Greenfield and graduated from Chester County High School in Henderson. From early childhood, he knew he wanted to follow in the professional footsteps of his grandfather, a physician. He attended the University of Tennessee at Martin for pre-med studies and was admitted into the University of Tennessee School of Medicine, from which he graduated in 1961.
When he learned he was about to be drafted, he enlisted in the Navy early in the Vietnam conflict and served his medical internship at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Mass. He was then assigned to the nuclear submarine USS Lafayette, becoming one of the first physicians to serve on a U.S. submarine. As part of this assignment, he was trained in hard-hat deep-sea diving. He served in this capacity for three years, operating out of Rota, Spain. Following his assignment on the Lafayette, he completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the U.S. Navy Hospital in Bethesda, Md., and went on to receive special training in pediatric orthopedics at Duke University. His last assignment was as general orthopedic surgeon at the Navy hospital in Orlando, Fla. He was very proud to have served his country in the Navy and especially honored to have treated our wounded warriors flown home straight off the battlefield in Vietnam, many with original battlefield dressings on their wounds.
After 10 years of active service, he resigned his commission in the Navy to join the medical staff at the Gulf Coast Community Hospital in Biloxi, Miss. During his tenure there, he served a term as Chief of Staff and established the first hospice program on the Gulf Coast. In 1988, he accepted a position as orthopedic surgeon for Health First medical group, a multi-specialty group in Memphis, where he practiced until retiring at age 65.
In 1958, he married his high school sweetheart, Camille McCall, a native of Chester County. They were blessed with three children, Hal Douglas (Denice) Bishop, Jr, of Knoxville, Marva Grace (Eric) Sain of Henderson and Kevin (Juli) Bishop of Kosciusko, Miss. In 1981, his wife Camille passed away. He was married in 1983 to Peggy Shea Patterson, a Gulfport, Miss., native and widow of Lt. Col. Mercer Howell Patterson, also a Gulfport native. Peggy has three children, Teresa Ellen Patterson of Atlanta, Linda Ann Iannuzzi of Germantown, Md., and Mercer Howell (Marla) Patterson, Jr. of Marion, Ill. He and Peggy had 40 years of life, love, and deep devotion together.
He is survived by one brother, Barry M. (Louise) Bishop; an adopted sister, Elaine (Larry) Rodgers of Knoxville; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, mother and first wife.
He was a great lover of music and an accomplished pianist. During his early school days, he participated in piano competitions held by the Beethoven Club and was awarded first place several times. He continued to practice the piano each day until his illness curtailed the pursuit of that passion. He also enjoyed playing racquetball and gardening. Growing beautiful flowers was a particular pleasure. Throughout his life, he had an abiding love of science and philosophy and read widely and deeply in these subjects.
