Mary Ruth (Bishop) Champiomont

Died: Sept. 20, 2012

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- Mary Ruth (Bishop) Champiomont, age 79, of Ocean Springs, died Thursday, Sept. 20, in Ocean Springs.

Mrs. Champiomont was a native of Greeneville, Tenn., and a resident of Ocean Springs since 1976, when she and her husband retired from the U.S. Air Force.

She was a teacher.

Mrs. Champiomont was a member of the Masters Gardening in Ocean Springs, volunteered at the Ocean Springs Nursing Center, and worked at Fraziers Nursery.

After her retirement, she was a substitute teacher in the Ocean Springs and D'Iberville school systems.

She was a graduate of Camp Creek High School in Greene County, Tenn., and a graduate of Midwestern University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

She received a master's degree in education from Peabody College in Nashville, Tenn.

Mrs. Champiomont was preceded in death by her parents: Leona and Johnny Bishop; a grandson: Jonathan Champiomont; two brothers: Billy Bulen Bishop and Bobby Keith Bishop; and an infant sister: Grace Wynell Bishop.

Survivors include her husband: Gale Champiomont; her daughter: Karen Champiomont; her son: Michael Champiomont; her granddaughter: Constance Champiomont, all of Ocean Springs; three sisters and brothers-in-law: Carolyn (Bishop) and Lloyd Powell of Greenville, Texas, and Gladys (Bishop) and Kenneth "Buddy" Morgan and Kaye Wedding, all of Greeneville; and several nieces and nephews, who were very dear to her.

Visitation was held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, at he Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home. Interment was in Biloxi National Cemetery.

Ruth was described in the statement below by Sabrina Powell, a niece: "I am sorry this world has lost one of the smartest and imaginative people. Aunt Ruth was always full of ideas and fun things to do, and loved to go on walks and enjoy God's work. The most simple things such as a rock would amuse her. She will be one missed wife, sister, mother, aunt, and friend. We love you, Aunt Ruth"

She had traveled extensively, but the highlight of it all was her visit to the Holy Land.