Raymond Arnold (Sr.) Bishop

Raymond Arnold Bishop, Sr., 86

Raymond Arnold Bishop, Sr., 86, of Woolwich, passed away peacefully at Brentwood Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Yarmouth, Maine. He was born on November 30, 1939, in Waterville, the son of Marjorie L. (Chenelle) Bishop and Ernest Charles Bishop.

Ray graduated from Morse High School in 1958 and went on to graduate from Gorham Teachers College (now known as University of Southern Maine, USM) in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree. On September 19, 1959, he married his high school sweetheart, Diane Elaine (Hamel) Bishop. They shared 54 years of marriage and raised five children together before her passing in 2013.

An exceptional athlete, Ray excelled in basketball. While at Morse High School, he helped lead the team to the 1956 State Championship as a young starter alongside his brother, Richard (“Dick”). That same year, he won the Maine State Foul Shooting Competition, making 49 of 50 shots in the finals after a perfect 50-for-50 qualifying round. Following his school years, he played semi-professional basketball and attended tryouts for the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics before returning home to focus on family life.

In 1988, Ray was inducted into the University of Southern Maine Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding college career, including a team average of 21 points per game—still ranked as the second-best in school history. In 2015, he was inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also an MVP tennis player at USM.

Ray dedicated his professional life to education, teaching at McMahon Elementary School in Lewiston, Maine. After retirement, he found joy in his church community, family gatherings, collecting books, dining out, yard sales, and staying active through tennis, pickleball, and later as a regular bocce ball player at the Bath Seniors Club.

At the age of 80, Ray was blessed to find love again with his second wife and devoted companion, Ellen Hagerthy. Together they enjoyed trips with the Seniors Club, yard sales, and dining at The Galley, where they were embraced like family.

Ray was predeceased by his parents, Marjorie L. (Chenelle) and Ernest Charles Bishop; his wife of 54 years, Diane Elaine (Hamel) Bishop; two daughters-in-law, Angela and Amy Bishop; and two step-sons, Neal, Jr. and Ronnie Hagerthy.

He will be sorely missed by his beloved wife of six years, Ellen Hagerthy of Woolwich; his children, Raymond “Raymie” Bishop, Jr. of Lisbon Falls, Jay Bishop of Phippsburg, Jeffrey Bishop, Sr. of Lisbon Falls, Shane Bishop of Dallas, Texas, and Jody Durisko and her husband Matthew of Lisbon Falls; his stepdaughter, Sue Whittaker Cressey and her husband Kelvin of Bath; his stepson, Albert Hagerthy and his wife Michelle of Woolwich; his ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends, all of whom he loved dearly.

A celebration of life will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Small Point Baptist Church in Phippsburg. A gathering of family and friends will follow in the church fellowship hall. Burial will be at Morningside Cemetery in Phippsburg at a later date. Condolences may be made online at www.daiglefuneralhome.com.