Philip passed away on March 15, 2021, at home in Ames, Iowa. Philip was born on June 23, 1968, to Carol Lynne (MacArthur) Bishop and Stephen H. Bishop in Houston, Texas. Phil was very active from an early age, while attending pre-school at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church. If he wasn't fishing, you could find him playing baseball, soccer, or swimming and diving off the 3- and 10-meter diving board at the local YMCA. He attended public schools in Ames. Phil graduated from Ames High School in 1986. After graduating high school, he enrolled at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. For one semester before transferring back to Iowa to attend Grinnell College. He graduated from Grinnell in 1990 with a degree in History. While in Ames he became involved with the AAU swimming and Diving Club. Phil joined the Ames High School Swimming and Diving team as a 9th graded (diver) and placed 10th at the State Meet. He was Iowa High School Springboard diving champion at the 1985 and 86 State meet and was named High School All American both years. He continued springboard diving at Emory and Grinnell and was named NCAA Division III All American on both the one- and three-meter boards in 1988-1990. Following graduation from Grinnell, Phil was a passenger in a car accident (rollover) while visiting with friends on Cape Cod. He sustained spinal cord injuries that left him with reduced use and mobility of his hands and arms. Initial Therapy was provided by the New England Spinal Cord Injury Center at Boston University. Phil returned home to Ames, bought a small farm near Stanhope, Iowa, and continued therapy. He held several jobs including the clean-up of Ledges State Park following the flood of 1993. He married Alicia Jean Hartmann in Glenview, IL in 1998. The couple moved to Minneapolis where he began working as an archeologist. This involved working with a team to survey sites scheduled for public of commercial development to locate items or sites of archeological/historical or environmental sensitive prior to development and report results to state and local authorities and clients. The survey sites were fir pipelines, roads, oil and gas exploration, housing developments, etc. The couple moved to Tulsa, OK for a short time before eventually settling in Houston, Texas. In 2007 they welcomed their daughter, Laurel Jean. The work on the road took Phil to Eastern Iowa, Northern Illinois, on gas transmission line project, Eastern Oklahoma on gas exploration projects, West Texas- New Mexico for state development projects; Eastern Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi for gas exploration projects. He also spent time in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Delaware on Nature Trail Projects. The time away from home and the stress from the job when the survey results did not conform with the business or policy interests of the clients took a toll on the marriage. After he and Alicia divorced in 2014, Phil moved back to Ames-Stanhope and continued therapy.
Proceeding Phil in death are his mother, both sets of grandparents, Uncle, Douglas MacArthur and Cousin, Katelyn MacArthur.
Surviving is his father Stephen, brother Robert and sister Jennifer Bishop, his daughter Laurel Jean; Keith and Alex Bishop, Kristen MacArthur, Allan Ciliezar, Anthony Miranti, Gordon MacArthur plus, the many friends he met along the way.
Phil has been on my mind lately. I have fond memories of times at Grinnell. He was my compadre in Mr Jones’ history class and fellow traveler when we were in Mexico for Tom Young’s wedding. My condolences to the family. He is missed.
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