“ A Legacy – The greatest gift a mother can give her children is her own independence. My life is filled with joy, making things with my hands, art, my garden, my friends, knowing my children are fine, my personal relationship with God, music, cooking and sharing.
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I had it all – the bouncy, laughing children years, the short but very sweet years of passion and love, and the glorious free years, to feel as if life was total and time was mine. My days are as full as I make them, I have a rich, full life.”
– Audrey Bishop
Long time Langley resident Audrey Bishop passed away Feb. 16, 2018, in Central Point, Ore. Audrey was born Oct. 18, 1929 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Thomas and Charlotte Ashton. Upon graduation from high school, at the age of 17, she took a train from New York to Los Angeles to start a new life, the first of many adventures she would have throughout her full life. She married Cliff Fauble on April 24, 1949. They were married for 19 years and had three boys, Bruce (Desiree) Fauble of Gold Hill, Ore., Robert (Patty) Fauble of Rocklin, Calif., and Brad (Dawn) Fauble of West Sacramento, Calif.
In 1969, she married Robert L. Bishop, the love of her life, and gained four new step-daughters, Judy Zinn (Harris) of Cedar Grove, N.J., Nancy Allen of Bellingham, Linda Racicot (Mark) of Langley, and Wendy Bishop, deceased.
After moving from New York, she settled into suburban life in the San Fernando Valley to raise her three sons in Reseda, Calif. In 1962, the family moved to Ventura, Calif., where she later met Robert Bishop while working as an artist with the Ventura County Library System. They were married for only four years, but they were the happiest four years of Audrey’s life. After Bob’s sudden death in 1972, Audrey moved to Whidbey Island.
Audrey lived in the Langley area for 38 years. She was a renowned artist who worked in a variety of media. She loved the local art scene in Langley and was very proud of Linda when she became the art teacher at Langley Middle School. One of her proudest achievements as an artist was designing and building her dream house with Ralph Hasting as the contractor. She loved her house!
In her adult life she was able to travel extensively throughout the world. She studied abroad in Greece, France and Italy. She took many Elder Hostel courses in Scandinavia, Japan, Paris and Florence. She encouraged all of her children to travel and see the world. During each of her travel experiences she created an amazing journal, each one showcasing her artistic abilities.
Along with dialogue, each one included beautiful sketches, drawings, and watercolors of the places that inspired her. In 88 years, Audrey accomplished a lot and lived a full life, but it was the arrival of each new great-grandchild that touched her the most at the end.
We will miss Audrey, but we know she is in a wonderful place. She is survived by her adult children, eleven grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. We will have a family gathering this summer to honor Audrey.
