Don Bishop was one of my closest friends. He and Leslie ware married on September 10, 1971 in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, three months after Linda and I were married there. I first met Don in 1970 at KOVO in Provo, Utah. We also worked together in 1973 at KFXM in San Bernardino, California where I was Denis Robins, and in 1983-84 at KLCY in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Don went on to work at stations in major markets including Dallas, Washington D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles, and to become a national radio voice. He last worked for Westwood One Radio Networks in Los Angeles that syndicates programming to hundreds of radio stations all over the country.
While at KLCY, we attended a John Denver concert at Brigham Young University along with my wife, Linda, and Don's wife, Leslie.
Shortly after Leslie gave birth to their 8th child, Steven, she died in a car accident on icy I-215 in Salt Lake County on January 4, 1988. About one year later Don remarried, but she did not stay. Thereafter, Don by himself continued to raise his 8 children from Leslie, his 2 children from his second wife, and 1 child from his second wife's previous marriage. She left all three of her children with him when she left him.
I was blessed to have visited Don at his home in American Fork, Utah in early 2017, as I had no idea that he would be gone only a few months later. It was the first time in several years we had been together. We talked about radio and he showed me his cool gun collection. We had a great time!
I believe it was not just a coincidence that Don died on September 10, 2017, the 46th wedding anniversary of Don and Leslie. I believe he missed her a lot, and it was a wonderful anniversary for both of them!
I attended Don's funeral Friday, September 15, 2017, in American Fork, Utah conducted by his bishop. Several of Don's kids spoke at his funeral including Lizzy, his adopted daughter.
They say everyone needs a mom to raise him/her, but without their moms, Don came pretty close. They were extremely blessed to have a dad as caring and good as Don. I only hope that when my time comes, my kids will be able to say the nice things about me that Don's kids said about him. I stand in great appreciation of Don, not only as a great broadcaster, but as a true friend and devoted follower of Jesus Christ. And he was about as good of a father as there could be.
May God reserve a very special place in His kingdom for Don and men like him. I hope to meet him again there someday.
I love you, Don.
