Marjorie Norton Bishop, formerly of 5 Greystone Road in West Hartford, died peacefully on March 17, 2018 at her home at The McAuley retirement community in West Hartford with family by her side. She was 97. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Melvin T. Bishop; her oldest son, Thomas N. Bishop; and her sister, Marilyn Baldwin, of Indianapolis, IN. She is survived by her brother, Robert Norton (Carol) of Vashon, WA, son ,daughter, seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Born in Schenectady, NY on May 8, 1920 to Leland and Esther Norton, Marge grew up in Fairfield, CT and graduated from Rodger Ludlowe High School in 1937. After graduating from the University of North Carolina in 1941, she taught home economics at many schools around Connecticut, including Talcott Junior High School in West Hartford for 14 years. Marge was a lifelong learner with an independent spirit and a zest for life. After she retired from teaching, she remained active at First Church of Christ Congregational in West Hartford, where she sang in the choir and served on many boards and committees. She also gave piano lessons, belonged to multiple book clubs, audited classes at the University of Saint Joseph, and volunteered for organizations including the New Britain Museum of American Art, Meals on Wheels, and the Avery Heights senior living community. Her other interests included gardening, cooking, sewing, music, bridge, entertaining, and traveling. In 2010, just before her 90th birthday, she was profiled by the West Hartford News in an article that began, "Marge Bishop shovels her own snow, cuts her grass with an old-school rotary mower and recently returned from a trip to Paris where she took a barge down the Seine River." The article noted that even at age 90, the jump in her step was "akin to a track runner coming off a starting line." Marge credited her longevity to the love of her husband, whom she met on a blind date at Grand Central Station, and her family and friends. Well into her 80s and 90s, she was dancing at the weddings of her grandchildren, and she was difficult to keep up with even after she began using a walker. Her family often joked that she might outlive them all. Marge had a genuine, boundless curiosity about the lives of her family and friends and the world around her and had an enviable memory for any age. With her kind heart and open mind, she made lasting friends of all ages and from all walks of life. She had a way of making anyone she talked to feel special and important. It is not an exaggeration to say that everyone who knew her, loved her. She truly loved living at McAuley and joined the community's welcoming committee soon after she moved in. Her friends there recalled how she would greet new residents with fresh-cut flowers from her garden and how she immediately made them feel at home. And even after her health began to decline, she still maintained her sense of humor and the sparkle in her eye. A celebration of Marge's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, 2018 at the First Church of Christ Congregational, 12 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06107. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the church. For directions and online condolences, please visit www.taylorandmodeen.com.
Published in The Hartford Courant on Mar. 18, 2018. legacy