Dr Connie Bossons Bishop

Dr. Connie Bossons Bishop, 70, of Gibsonville, NC passed away on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at the Authoracare Hospice Home.
She was born June 4, 1953, the daughter of “Miss Virginia” and “Coach Bob” Bossons. She was the wife of Rev. Ben Bishop and they were married 47 years.
Born a “Georgia Peach” in Atlanta, Connie was raised in all the places that her father served as a coach. She grew up at Georgia Tech, then at Duke in Durham, the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Rice University in Houston, Texas, and lastly they came back to Duke.
It was while her father coached football at Duke that she met and married her Duke Divinity School husband, Ben. They met and fell in love while she finished her studies earning her Bachelor of Nursing degree. While her husband finished his studies at the Divinity School, Connie began her career as a charge nurse at the VA Medical Center in Durham.
As a Methodist minister they served churches in Winnsboro and Newberry, SC. Connie earned her master’s degree in Psychiatric Nursing at the University of South Carolina. She also taught in the USC School of Nursing. After partnering with Ben in 5 years in parish ministry she became a Navy wife when Ben began serving as a Navy Chaplain.
Their first duty station was with Marines at Camp Lejeune. While living in Jacksonville, NC Connie became the Assistant Administrator of a startup psychiatric hospital in Jacksonville. After Jacksonville they moved to Concord, Connecticut. Ben was a Submarine Squadron Chaplain and Connie became the Assistant Administrator of a psychiatric hospital in Middletown, CT. From there they moved to Portland, Rhode Island where Ben served at the Naval Education Training Center in Newport, R.I. and Connie earned her Master of Business Administration from the University of New Haven. She also taught nursing at Salva Reginia College in Newport, R.I.
Connie eventually traveled the country giving seminars on health care quality assurance. After they left New England they moved to California, Ben serving as ship’s chaplain on the USS Mauna Kea out of Concord, CA. Connie became the administrator for Alta Bates Herrick Psychiatric Hospital in Berkeley, CA. On her first day in that job Connie was on top of the Cyprus exchange of Interstate 880 when it collapsed during the Loma Preta earthquake. As a nurse she did triage before being rescued. She was awarded the “Service Above Self” by the CA Highway Department for her actions on top of the freeway and for her leadership providing psychiatric care in the aftermath of the earthquake.
After California, they moved to Singapore, Ben serving as staff chaplain for COMLOG WESTPAC, responsible for logistics within the Western Pacific fleet. While in Singapore Connie became the Quality Healthcare Coordinator for Tan Tock Sing Hospital. She also traveled around Southeast Asia doing Healthcare Quality Assurance seminars. They eventually made their way back to the States, to North Carolina and Ben finished his Navy career as ship’s chaplain aboard the USS Austin. While Ben served as ship’s chaplain, Connie established their home in Gibsonville and became engaged in Healthcare Quality Assurance for various organizations there. While Ben was still serving as ship’s chaplain Connie connected she and Ben with St. Mark’s Church where Ben became a pastor and began a 24 year connection.
While living in Gibsonville Connie fulfilled a lifelong dream of earning her “terminal degree,” Doctor of Nursing Practice, her 2nd degree from her Alma Mater, the Duke University School of Nursing. Not long after completing her DNP she landed her “dream job” teaching nursing at NC A&T School of Nursing. Connie absolutely loved her nursing students and took great pride in their accomplishments. It meant the world for her to witness them excel as nurses and watch some go on to earn advanced degrees in nursing. Connie has over 50 years in the nursing profession as a nurse educator specializing in health information technology and dedicating herself to excellence and quality patient care.
Connie was proud to be a minister’s wife, a Navy Chaplain’s wife, and was dedicated to what she thought of as her high calling as a nurse. While studying at the Duke School of Nursing she always remembered the quote, “Thank God for a thinking nurse!” She will be remembered not only as a “thinking nurse” but a loving, caring nurse who loved nothing more than mentoring nursing students. She was a lifelong learner, a loving and supportive wife, and a dear friend to many who blessed her life and allowed her to bless them.
There will be a celebration of life service for Connie on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 1 pm in the original sanctuary at St. Mark’s Community Church at 1516 St. Mark’s Church Road, Burlington, NC 27215. A reception will follow the service in the church lobby. Dress will be casual.
If you would like to honor Connie, in lieu of flowers please remember Authoracare, 914 Chapel Hill Road, Burlington, NC 27215 or St. Mark’s Community Church.

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