Funeral services are scheduled for Wednesday for Sharyn Bishop, a longtime city worker who most recently made news for helping West River seniors keep their center open.
Bishop died at Yale-New Haven Hospital early Saturday, a day after her 61st birthday, after an extended bout with cancer.
She worked for city government for 33 years. Her last position was with the elderly services division. She was assigned to the West River Senior Center, which the city planned to close because of budget cuts. She helped organize seniors to speak out in public to preserve the center. The center was saved, although Bishop was fired for insubordination. (At first she was also charged with talking to the press without the explicit permission of the mayor’s office. That charge was dropped.)
Known as a passionate fighter for causes she believed in, Bishop was active for decades in Democratic Party politics. She was a ward co-chair at Bella Vista. In 2001 she was a prominent supporter of the mayoral campaign of Martin Looney.
A mass of Christian burial will take place in St. Francis Church on Ferry Street in New Haven Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
She is survived by sisters Mary Jean Russo and Joan A. Forte and brother George Bishop; and niece Kristian Bishop and nephew Matthew Russo.