Leona Marie Bishop
September 30, 1953 - January 28, 2024

“It’s Not The Freaking Lottery, Everybody Gets Picked”

— Leona

On Sunday, January 28, 2024 Leona, also known as “B” lost her courageous two-year long battle with cancer. She passed comfortably surrounded by her husband and girls.

Leona was born in Scotia the youngest of four and She was raised in Holmes Flat. She attended Fortuna Union High School ,where she met her future husband, Grant. She graduated in 1971. After two long persistent years of asking, she finally accepted his proposal! Grant and Leona were married July 1, 1972.

They resided in Scotia for 28 years, where they raised their two daughters. She was a stay-at-home mom and a house cleaner for many years. In 2002 they moved to Rio Dell, where Grant still resides.

Gardening was her passion and she spent the next 22 years creating the garden of her dreams. She absolutely loved sharing seeds, plant starts and vegetables from her garden with her neighbors, friends and family.

She loved her grandsons dearly and was very proud of her “boys.” Although a tiny person in stature, she was a large presence in spirit and attitude. She was true to her word and spoke it as she saw it. She lived life on her own terms. She never said “why me?” or that “life is fair.”

She accepted “The Old Boy Upstairs” would be calling the shots.

• “Everybody has choices. It’s better to laugh than cry. If you don’t have a sense of humor, you’re going to have a long, miserable life. “
• “I am who I am. If it works for you good, if not, oh well.”

She was preceded in death by her parents, Antonio and Marie Machado and her brothers, Bob Bellum and Don Bellum.

She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Grant Bishop, her daughters Heather Collings (Jared), and Jenni Gans (Randy) and five grandsons — Jordan, Riley, Branson, Rogan and Calvin.She also leaves behind her sister, Bernie Miranda, Sister-In-Laws that she considered sisters, brother-in-law’s and numerous nieces and nephews.

Special thanks to her amazing hospice nurse, Bridgette as well as her very special neighbors.

In lieu of flowers, Heather and Jenni will happily be accepting red wine. (Just kidding, mom would be honored to have donations made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or Hospice of Humboldt.)

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.