Kurt Anthony Bishop, a husband, dad, and papa, passed away early Sunday, January 22, 2023, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kurt was born May 23, 1954, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Harry Hubert Bishop and “Peg” Emma Bernice Simmonds Bishop. Kurt spent his early childhood with his parents and brother, Mark, living in Pennsylvania. When he was a teenager, his family moved back to Oklahoma, and he attended junior high and high school in Del City. He got his first job throwing a paper route and was excited to take the money he earned to buy records…
and his first motorcycle. He graduated from Del City High School in 1972 and following a visit to Norman, Oklahoma, for a pep rally before an OU vs. Nebraska football game, Kurt decided he wanted to be a Sooner. He moved to Norman to attend the University of Oklahoma with plans to study pre-pharmacy. His stories from this time in his life focused on football and fraternity fun and how Organic Chemistry ate his lunch. At that point, Kurt took a break from college and after working in the real world for a few years, he returned to OU and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1979. His first job out of college was working for Cities Service Company in Tulsa. Over the years he worked for MAPCO, Coopers & Lybrand, and wrapped up his career working as a management consultant for SAP.
During his time at Coopers and Lybrand, a coworker set him up on a blind date. That blind date went well and less than a year later he married Sherry Trenfield on June 1, 1991. Kurt was a loving and supportive husband and happily stepped into the role of stepdad to Sherry’s two daughters, Anne and Susan. He spent the next several years traveling for work but was always back home in Tulsa to spend weekends with his new family. That time was spent driving teenage daughters to and from the mall, sitting through color guard competitions and cross country meets, heading to the lake to pull water skiers behind his bass boat, and even rebuilding a 1968 Mustang for Susan when she turned 16. Whether it was a day spent exploring Oklahoma or a cross country adventure, you could always count on Kurt to pack good snacks and curate the perfect road trip soundtrack. He loved a day spent bass fishing or checking out hot rods at a car show and he always had great music playing in the background. Recently, he spent hours searching the internet for the perfect old truck to buy and rebuild for his next big project. The beach was Kurt’s happy place. He and Sherry visited Destin as often as they could, and he was always planning and dreaming of their next beach vacation.
Being a papa to five grandchildren thrilled Kurt and he loved every minute of it. Papa Kurt was famous for making the world’s best grilled cheese sandwiches and quesadillas. He always made sugar cookies at Christmas and the grandkids loved being involved in the fun of decorating and eating those cookies. When visiting Papa Kurt and Grandma Sherry’s house, the grandkids could count on a popcorn snack prepared by Papa Kurt every afternoon that usually involved sitting around the kitchen table listening to silly stories of his childhood antics and his adventures at OU. Each of his grandchildren was so special to him and he was so very proud of all five of them.
Kurt is survived by his wife, Sherry, of the home in Owasso, Oklahoma
Two daughters: Anne Lambert, of Blanchard, Oklahoma
Susan Lambert-Boyle and husband Craig, of Lake Bluff, Illinois
Grandchildren: Megan Zike, Nathan Zike, Avery Zike, Ottilie Boyle, and Amelia Boyle
He was preceded in death by his parents, Peg and Harry Bishop, and his brother, Mark.
Funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 27, 2023, at the Mowery Funeral Service Chapel in Owasso. The family requests memorial contributions be made in memory of Kurt to the Center For Children and Families in Norman, Oklahoma, https://www.ccfinorman.org . Arrangements and services were entrusted to Mowery Funeral Service of Owasso. www.moweryfs.com
