Charles Denson Bishop

C. Denson Bishop, 78, met Jesus face to face on Friday, February 18th, as he flew away from this world peacefully through Heaven’s gates.

Denson was born in Sallis, MS, and lived most of his life in East Texas. Denson was a 1962 graduate of Kilgore High School. He played guard for the KHS Bulldogs and was a two-year letterman. Denson served our country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War from 1966-67. After returning from war to Kilgore, he bought his most loved, earthly possession, a custom-ordered blue 1968 Plymouth GTX that he treasured his entire adult life. He always had enough time to show off his treasured car to the many strangers that showed up at his house to look at it; and there was no amount of money a stranger could offer to get him to sell it.

Denson spent many years in Kilgore where he raised his beloved daughters and supported them in all their endeavors. Denson was known by many as a kind man who always had a smile on his face, regardless of the situation. Denson’s motto was “be happy, life is too short!” He lived every day with this attitude of happiness and a contagious smile that inherently made others happy too.

Along with Denson’s love of life and family, he loved God’s creation and spent most of his life outdoors growing and tending to his vegetable garden and variety of trees. He found a deep satisfaction in planting seeds, watering them, and watching them grow. Denson spent his entire career in produce smiling at customers and making sure all the vegetables and fruit were stocked in every place he was employed.

During his career in produce, he met his beautiful bride, Mary, in 2002. They united in marriage in September of 2008 and moved to Jefferson to start their life together.

Denson is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Claudia Bishop. He is survived by his wife, Mary Bishop; daughter, Kari Pickering; daughter and son-in-law, Wendy and Aaron Hoecherl; step-daughters Carol Tallant and Charlotte Wise; sister and brother-in-law, Bobbie and Jimmy Johnson; twin brother and sister-in-law, Charlie Venson and Linda Bishop; his grandchildren, Davis Pickering, Tye and Reid Hoecherl; step-grandchildren, Kayla DeMoss, David Wise, Garlon and Travis Swistok; step-great grandchildren Austin and Aaron DeMoss, and many other beloved nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends for a time of visitation in the Garden Court of Welch Funeral Home on Friday the 25th of February 2022, from 5 o’clock in the evening to 7 o’clock in the evening. A Life Celebration funeral service will be on Saturday the 26th of February 2022, at 10 o’clock in the morning in the chapel of Welch Funeral Home with Alan Leatherwood officiating. Following the funeral service, there will be a graveside service at 1 o’clock in the afternoon in Jefferson at Oakwood Memorial Cemetery (the new part). In honor of Denson, feel free to wear blue.


In lieu of customary remembrances the family requests with gratitude that memorials be made to Hospice of East Texas, Longview Arboretum, or a Veterans Organization of your choice.