James Homer Bishop

March 5, 1949 – July 30, 2026

James "Jim, Jimbo, JimBob, Air Guitar Master" Bishop, 77, of Rochester, Minnesota, died on July 30, 2026.

Jim was born March 5, 1949, in Steubenville, Ohio, to Homer and Beatrice (Welshans) Bishop. He grew up in Ohio, moving with his family to a farm as a teenager, and later to Georgia, where he worked alongside his family at their fishing marina.

Jim endured more than his fair share of health problems in his life, and it was one of them that brought him everything else. In 1972, he and his mother traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she gave him one of her kidneys. He returned to Rochester in 1974 for check-ups, and it was there that he met a special nurse named Deb. He moved north for good in 1976, and on August 19, 1977, he and Deb were married.

In those early years, Jim worked at Hanny's Men's Wear in downtown Rochester. In 1984, a friend named Larry encouraged him to try selling cars at Adamson Motors, the beginning of a lifelong love of the automotive business. In 1998, with the help of his father-in-law, Jack Just, Jim went into business for himself and opened Bishop's Eastwood Motors.

In 2006, Jim needed another kidney, and his brother Don traveled from Texas to the Mayo Clinic to donate one of his own. It was a gift that gave Jim years he never took for granted. He retired in 2011, and he and Deb spent the years that followed traveling and enjoying the life they had built together.

Jim loved the open road. He and Deb made it to many of the country's national parks, and he was just as happy with a fishing rod in his hands or a campfire to tend; he was always the one poking at the coals. He loved a glass of Carlo Rossi Sangria on the deck no matter the weather. He loved music of every kind, though rock and roll was always home, and he saw the greats live: Janis Joplin, AC/DC, Michael Jackson, Creed, Joe Bonamassa, and many more.

Most of all, he loved the company of his family and friends. He was happiest with those people around him, and he was usually the reason they were laughing. Jim had a quick wit and could always be counted on for the perfect comeback or a joke that got the whole room going.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 49 years, Deb Bishop; his daughter Jessica Golden (Josh) and his son Adam Bishop (Jennifer); five grandchildren, Colin, Madison, Gavin, Jackson, and Harry; his sister Cheryl Ledger (Michael); and his brother Don Bishop (Jean).

He was preceded in death by his parents, Homer and Beatrice Bishop.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, August 23, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Cascade Lake Park Building in Rochester. All are welcome to stop by.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, Jim’s family would appreciate donations to the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester https://gift-of-life.org/make-a-donation/ or to Mayo Clinic Cancer Care and Research https://give.mayoclinic.org/campaign/756156/donate