Rich Bishoff was born and raised in Oakland, MD. He got his introduction to the funeral business working evenings and weekends at a funeral home starting at the age of 16.
He has been a 35 year resident of Charleston, WV. He and his wife have two daughters, Amy and Jacy and a granddaughter, Eloise. He also has an 8 year old black lab, Ilsa, who is his faithful sidekick and hiking partner. He has been in love with golf and its history since the age of nine. To his wife’s delight he loves to cook, mostly on the grill and with his smoker.
Rich attended West Virginia University, served his apprenticeship at Bartlett Burdette Cox Funeral Home in Charleston, and then went on to graduate with honors (Magna Cum Laude) from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in January of 1987. He was the president of his class and was awarded the Mu Sigma Alpha award for academic, citizenship, and character excellence.
His grandfather and great grandfather were Morticians and owned Markwood Funeral Home, establishing in the late 1800’s up until 1960, in Keyser, WV.
Rich is the LIC funeral director of Snodgrass Funeral Home in South Charleston. He has been active with HospiceCare since 2002 where he served on the board of directors until 2012 and was the chair of the personnel and finance committee. He was then made a board member emeritus. Rich continues to serve HospiceCare by providing CEU training for RN’s, LPN’s, CNA’s and their social workers. He also volunteers for fundraising and other projects. Rich recently was asked to go back on the board of directors in August of 2020.
Rich is also a long time member of Kanawha City Lions Club, one of the largest such clubs in West Virginia, where he has served as president two terms. He was awarded the Leonard Jarrett award in 2019, named after the founder of Lions club International. It is the highest award a Lion can receive.
He and his wife are members of RiverRidge Church where they are leaders of one of two greeting teams. They also support and volunteer at the church’s mission, Second Ave. Center.
Rich has always been active in his community and with his family coaching little league, travel girls softball teams, George Washington High School assistant girls softball coach. After his daughters left home he has been an assistant girl’s softball coach at Horace Mann Middle School where he, as well, has been a mentor and reading coach. He is a former board member of The Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home.