Tom Bishop, retired entrepreneur and member of the Vashon, WA and Palm Desert, CA communities passed away peacefully at his Vashon home following a long battle with illness.
Tom was born Thomas Roe Bishop on June 17, 1942 in Hollywood, CA to Cecil and Martha Bishop. He spent his early years living in Redondo Beach, CA and enjoyed spending time on his stepfather's ranch in Fallbrook, CA. Eventually, Tom would migrate from Southern California to Northern California, where he would graduate from Santa Cruz High School in 1960. Tom had an affinity for Santa Cruz, even though he would go on to attend a university "over the hill" in San Jose. After completing his B.A. in Business Administration from San Jose State University in 19645, Tom served in the National Guard and went on to become a stockbroker with Dean Witter. Tom would circle back to Santa Cruz and it was there he would appreciate life on the water, get his first shot at owning a boat, and most importantly, meet the love of his life and wife of 45 years, Kit (Heiderich) Bishop.
Once Tom and Kit teamed up, they began to travel extensively across the U.S. and parts of Mexico before establishing roots on Vashon Island, WA. During these years Tom's independent spirit would drive him to leave the institutional business world behind and start his own venture that would allow him to be his own boss, while tying together his interest in travel jewelry, precious metals, and exotic goods. This venture, Rich Coast Imports, would become Tom and Kit's labor of love over much of the next three decades, affording the pair frequent trips to both Mexico and Thailand. Over the course of these trips, Tom would seek out eye-catching pieces of jewelry, constructed by local artisans using materials common to the area such as Mexican silver, abalone, and pearl inlay. Although the principal focus of Rich Coast Imports was importing, distribution, and wholesale, Tom also enjoyed direct sales and helped boost his brand and sales by selling at a variety of jewelry, craft, and gift shows up and down the West Coast. Tom especially enjoyed selling direct sales at Washington events such as the annual Strawberry Festival and the Puyallup Fair. This afforded him the opportunity to mingle with neighbors while connecting with other vendors from the craft fair circuit.
Tom particularly enjoyed visiting Mexico, both for business and pleasure, with an estimated 65 trips under his belt! While business often brought him to central Mexico and places like Mexico City and Taxco, his true "happy place" was in Mulege on the Baja California peninsula. Tom and Kit made an annual tradition of driving to Baja at least once a year and often spent several weeks camping, fishing, and enjoying the "beach life" with the company of many friends.

Eventually, Tom and Kit would find themselves able to retire the Rich Coast Imports operation, meaning they could retire, which would open up new possibilities for travel and adventure. Tom developed a passion for golf and became a member of the Vashon Country Club, while still enjoying his lifelong passions of fishing and traveling. Tom and Kit started the next phase of their retirement by establishing a winter home in Palm Desert, CA. They embraced the local Portola community and found another spot between Vashon and Baja to spend time. Tom found Desert Willows Golf course to be a favorite and kept a weekly tee-time. He would go on to record a "hole-in-one" three times and was the Club Champ multiple times.
Tom had a kind spirit and an enormous appetite for life. He was a true "work hard, play hard" individual. His effort in running his business knew no bounds, yet he could also make time to relax to some oldie's music, take his Jaguar for a spin around the island, fire up the grill, watch his beloved Seattle Seahawks play or teach a nephew how to fish. He will be remembered fondly by numerous fellow fishers, the Portola Community, the Baja Beach Crown, and any golf buddies who may know him as "Tom," Bishop," "Bish" or by his distinctive laugh.