MANSFIELD — Former Richland County Prosecutor Gary Bishop, 63, died on Monday morning after a battle against cancer, less than a month after formally leaving office.
Bishop retired from office on April 13 after a legal career that spanned more than 35 years, including twice winning election as the county’s chief legal counsel.
“Gary was a prosecutor that had a lot of passion for victims,” Acting Prosecutor Jodie Schumacher said Monday afternoon. “That’s something that stands out about Gary. Victims were his passion.
“Domestic violence. Sexual assaults. He wanted justice for those victims and he showed us all in the office how to demonstrate compassion while seeking that justice,” said Schumacher, who served as Bishop’s First Assistant Prosecutor since 2017.
“Gary gave me a great opportunity to demonstrate and utilize my leadership skills. He put trust in me for that — and I am forever grateful,” Schumacher said.
Born Oct. 11, 1959 to the late Mary (Ray) Sendelbach and Ezra Bishop in Pikeville, Kentucky, he relocated with his family in 1961 to Tiro. A 1977 graduate of Buckeye Central High School, he had served as a delegate to the American Legions Buckeye Boy State in 1976.
He attended Bowling Green State University from 1978-1982, graduating with a degree in Political Science and minoring in English.
Bishop earned his law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1986.
He began working as an assistant Wood County prosecutor from 1987 to 2005, the last 12 years as the office’s chief assistant.
Bishop joined the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office in 2005. He successfully prosecuted more than 70 felony jury trials and was promoted to chief criminal trial attorney by then-Prosecutor James J. Mayer Jr.
In 2015, Bishop began working as a criminal trial attorney for Ashland County Prosecutor Attorney Christopher Tunnell and was soon promoted to First Assistant Prosecutor.
While working in Ashland County, Bishop campaigned for the Richland County prosecutor’s office, defeating Bambi Couch-Page and taking office in January 2017.
Bishop said in November 2022 he had been diagnosed with cancer about a month before the murder trial of John Mack Jr., an effort that resulted in a conviction.
“Gary was looking forward to retirement, but I am certain he was not quite ready,” said Schumacher, who was appointed acting prosecutor by county commissioners on April 13.
“(Health) circumstances kind of forced his hand. He didn’t get to retire the way he wanted to, but I think the office kind of helped keep him going. He always looked forward to talking to us and finding out what’s going on,” she said.
Bishop had a passion for many things, perhaps none greater than his love for his 1967 Ford Mustang GT Fastback he purchased when he was 16 and spent time restoring.
“Everyone knows he loved his Ford Mustang,” Schumacher said. “He enjoyed having fun. He enjoyed being in the company of friends.”
During his tenure, Bishop focused on putting victims’ rights first; improving the working relationship his office has with law enforcement; improving the response to the opioid crisis; crimes again women and children; and exploitation of the elderly, in particular.
Bishop was honored for outstanding achievement and meritorious service to Victims of Crime by the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Victims Services Division of the Ohio Court of Claims.
He was also lauded for his prosecution of drunk drivers by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for his work in a number of vehicular homicide cases.
Bishop successfully prosecuted death-penalty cases, advocated before the Ohio Adult Parole Board and gained the respect of numerous law enforcement agencies throughout northwest and north central Ohio.
Bishop has served as a guest lecturer at the National Trial Advocacy Center in Columbia, S.C., on a number of occasions, teaching advanced trial advocacy to prosecutors from around the United States.
For 16 years, he worked as a consultant for the Court Section at the annual American Legion Buckeye Boys State.
A former delegate to Buckeye Boys State, Bishop had said he was dedicated to the task of teaching young men from across the state about the country’s representative form of government, court system and citizenship.
