In Memoriam
In Memoriam
Monica Capocasa worked with Henry one on one for years, she wrote the following so people could know the real Henry.
I know a lot of you did not know Henry personally, or much about him, so I wanted to make sure everyone knew exactly who Henry was. Henry and I started together in 2016. And we have been a packaged deal ever since. You may have seen us in the hallway while he was getting his royal treatment being pushed in the wheelchair, or you may have seen us in the hall while he was tap dancing out of anger because I was making him walk. Or maybe there were times when you were lucky to walk past us while he was singing and smiling. Henry was the kid that you initially look at, and want to feel sorry for. Sometimes unfortunately, the fact that he was completely blind defined who he was to some people, and that was the only way people knew of him. But there was so much more to Henry. Henry was the boy who loved to sing (if your happy and you know it was his favorite) and spell, and interrupt you as you tried to sing and spell, because nobodys singing voice or spelling abilities were good enough for Henry :) Henry was the boy who loved listening to Dora and Curious George, and had an attachment to his fidgets of choice. Sometimes those would range from books in bags, to pop-its, to leapfrog toys, or a wine saver pump that he called a plunger. That one was my favorite. But regardless what the object was, it was his and it was what he needed for security and comfort. Henry and I played thumb war quite often over our time together. And graciously he would let me always have a turn to win. He was quite the gentleman. Henry was the boy who learned to read braille and could read 190 pci words, he knew 120 numbers in braille, he knew how to braille his name and on his smart brailler. He knew how to navigate his ipad to play a game, he knew his personal information, and he knew most of his braille contractions. He was the boy with the sweetest manners by saying "no thank you" when he didnt want to participate in something. He was also the boy that loved his snack and food more than anything, and wouldnt give you the time of day while he was eating. Can we really blame him? We all love food. Henry was the boy who wanted you to ask him how he was feeling today, and his answer was always the same....Happy. Occasionally he would throw out words like excellanti, phenomenal, and amazing. Henry was also the boy who loved shaking hands, asking for 8 handshakes and wanting to start over after 2. He loved high-fives, specifically 6 or 8 high-fives. Most of all Henry was the boy who knew how to touch peoples lives. And if you were one of the lucky ones to know him, then your life was touched. There is an endless list of people that have worked with Henry over the years and have all said the same amazing things about him since his passing. To be able to have an impact on that many people is an amzing gift. Henry is truly famous and will forever be a legend. I want people to know how truly special he was. And I don't want Henry to be remembered as the blind boy, I want him to be remembered as the Superhero who had the powers to make everyone's lives a little brighter everyday. A lot of people were intimidated meeting Henry for the first time, and some may have been a little afraid. I myself was at first, but that quickly disappeared. I have had a lot of people tell me over my time with Henry that he was lucky to have me, but I was the lucky one. We were all the lucky ones. If there is one thing I can say for sure, it is that Henry knew he was loved at school. And I want to thank anyone and everyone that opened their hearts to Henry. Henry loved those stress hearts that you get from doctor offices or after a CPR class and always wanted one in his pocket. Now he will hold a piece of my heart and everyones who loved him. Please remember Henry not as the blind boy, but as the Super hero that had the power to touch the lives of all those he met and the boy who was happy. Thank you.
Comments from Nathan Mills
It is really hard to believe that Mr. Bishop is actually gone, and even harder for me to put the sense of loss I - and everyone else - feels into words. Mr. Bishop was truly a one in a kind teacher/person, and it will be impossible for anyone to fill his shoes. In just 34 years of life, and 11 1/2 years here at DMS, he touched so many lives, and brought joy to so many, not just here at DMS, but in the entire community. His sense of humor and love of music is his greatest legacy, along with his pure dedication to Dundee Middle School, in addition to all the other various things he led outside of DMS. His death has left many people heartbroken, which shows his true impact on the world, and how he touched the hearts of so many.
In order to pay tribute to Mr. Bishop, I decided to make a comic book featuring some of my favorite Mr. Bishop jokes. It is linked HERE. Please only read it if you are in the right state of mind, as it is intended to bring joy, not further heartbreak. ~Nathan Mills