John Sid Bishop

John Sid Bishop, 75, of Emporia, passed away October 28, 2026, at his home in Emporia. He was born January 17, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas. 

When John was in the eighth grade, his family moved to Dunlap, Kansas, where he grew up near the Neosho River and enjoyed hunting and fishing. As a young man, he built microwave towers before enlisting in the United States Army to join an airborne unit. He served as a Specialist with the 82nd Airborne from 1972 to 1975, where he was named Outstanding Infantry Mortarman, earning the honor as the top marksman in his unit and for his physical conditioning. He also became a skilled equipment operator, a talent he relied on for the rest of his working life. On August 4, 1973, he married Karen Nielsen. He left the Army in 1975 when their daughter was born. 

John and Karen moved to Texas in 1975 and returned to Kansas in 1980, where he helped construct the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant. He later traveled throughout the United States working power plant outages. A Master Plumber, he owned and operated Neosho Plumbing in Emporia and served on the Emporia Building Trades Board. In 1994, he joined Plumbers Union Local 441, where he was a member for 32 years and served on the apprenticeship committee. 

John was a wealth of knowledge, and he never met a problem he didn’t already have a plan for fixing, or a part he couldn’t just fabricate himself. He had a mind for geometry and could work out the angles and measurements for just about any building project, usually on the notepad he kept in the pocket of his T-shirt. That notepad held diagrams, math equations, and a running list of things he didn’t want to forget to ask you about the next time he saw you, though with a memory like a steel trap, he rarely needed it.

 He could recall dates, events, and people with remarkable detail, so if you visited with John, you could count on a follow-up. He was quick-witted and had a gift for saying things so plainly they made you laugh, and then made you realize he was right. 

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Karen; his daughter, Brandee Orender, and her husband, TJ; his son, Loren Bishop; his grandchildren, Mick, Zeke, and Jake Ball; his brother-in-law, David Nielsen; and his sister-in-law, Kala Wengler. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elza Lorenzo “Sid” Bishop and Ruth Sherwin Bishop; two brothers; and one sister. 

A graveside service will be held at a date and time to be announced. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dunlap Fire Department.