WRITTEN BY ANNE GABBIANELLI
Notable names associated with Bangor’s Mount Hope Cemetery include Gen. Samuel Veazie, Hannibal Hamlin, and Al Brady. All are interred in the cemetery. But one name remains especially beloved by locals: Jim Bishop.
The 94-year-old Brewer resident was above ground greeting people as they drove and walked by the day I met with him and his family at the cemetery.
“Jim was my buddy as I would walk through here. He helped me through my journey of being a widow and having cancer,” said Helen, a frequent walker at the cemetery. She was thrilled to see Jim again after he unexpectedly ended his 35-year career as a groundskeeper last year because of declining health.
“I went wherever they needed me, from mowing to trimming and flower beds,” said the spry Bishop, whose keen sense of humor remains intact.
Scanning the grounds as we sat and talked, Bishop pointed and said, “I see those flowers on the bank finally gave up.”
He shared details about the cemetery’s history, from its gardens to the installation of its chimes, and discussed the challenges of planting flowers in the right locations.
“I always got a list of people and a map book to make sure I got it right,” he said, pointing to the site of his first planting assignment.
Of all his responsibilities, however, one stood out.
“I liked the people the most,” Bishop said. “I could always say ‘Hi’ and chat with them.”
His celebrity status was evident during our visit when a driver entering the cemetery spotted him.
“It’s so good to see you, my friend,” the driver called from the car window.
During his years working the grounds, Bishop referred to nearly every passerby as a “young fellow” or “beautiful lady,” winning people over with his kindness.
Later, while visiting a memorial bench dedicated in his honor, another walker stopped and asked to have a photo taken with him.
“We miss you around here,” said Greg Black, a frequent walker. “I love seeing him again. He’s always smiling.”
“I’ve made a lot of friends because of this job,” Bishop said as he looked over the granite bench bearing his photograph and signature phrase, “By Golly.”
“I never expected this. I spent a lot of time in this place, and this bench was a surprise. It’s really something.”
Bishop is missed not only by frequent walkers but also by former co-workers.
Retired cemetery superintendent Stephen Burrill said, “Everybody liked Jim. He’d come to work in the morning and grab his stuff, and you’d never see him again until 4. He always kept busy. He had the old-fashioned work ethic.”
Burrill added, “You never had to tell him what to do, and he’d always bring ideas to the table.”
Head groundskeeper Thomas Perkins stopped by during our visit.
“Jim was very particular about how he wanted things,” Perkins said. “I’m grateful he took the time to show young people how to weed gardens and trim trees and bushes.”
David Hart, who has worked on the grounds for the past 20 years, said, “I like Jim’s jovial personality. Nothing ever bothered him. He taught me a lot, and I really appreciated his patience with me.”
As frequent walker Richard Shaw put it, “Jim always had a friendly smile and a ‘Hello, young man.’ Often, he was on his hands and knees, doing his job, not always in the best of weather, but he never complained. He made life better for every life he touched.”