Bobbie Bishop Jernigan

On Thursday, May 14th, 2020, Bobbie Bishop Jernigan—loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother of 3 daughters, 4 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren—passed away at the age of 80.

Bobbie was born on June 12th, 1939 in Ellisville, MS to Harvey E. and Vernetta (Shows) Bishop. She was a
1957 graduate of Milton High School and received her bachelor’s degree in education from the
University of West Florida. For 30 years, she taught 4th grade at Bagdad Elementary School with the Santa Rosa County School Board. She married George “Bunny” Jernigan on February 8th, 1957. They raised 3 daughters: Cynthia, Jennifer, and Jill.

Bobbie had a passion for photography and enjoyed scrapbooking in which she captured her love of history, climbing lighthouses, and vacationing with her grandchildren. She shared her passion by gifting many scrapbooks to every family member, commemorating their shared experiences. She was a bookworm and avid reader with an extensive and impressive library. Bobbie was a true collector at heart—she accumulated a variety of collectables such as bells, bookmarks, rocks from places she visited, souvenir magnets, historical artifacts, and crystal Christmas ornaments, which only articulates a few of the items in her menagerie. Additionally, she was an avid sports fan—she rooted for all the Florida teams in all sporting events and attended the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, GA for almost a decade. She also loved women’s tennis and attended the Bausch and Lomb tournaments on Amelia Island where she discovered her love of sharks’ teeth hunting on the island’s beach, which she also collected. Bobbie never desired to have a pet, but if she had to choose one, it would be a sea turtle considering she loved them and would often visit turtle sanctuaries. She oddly loved pulling weeds by hand and would spend hours in her yard making it perfect. She had a beautiful voice and sang in the choir and at many weddings. Bobbie Bishop Jernigan was uncompromisingly unique and loved by her entire family.

Bobbie was preceded in death by: her father, Harvey Bishop; mother, Vernetta Bishop; and sister, Betty Lewis.

She is survived by: her husband, George Jernigan; daughters, Cynthia Smith (Lyle), Jennifer Wells (Clayton), and Jill Jernigan; grandchildren, Casey Smith (Amanda), Christopher Wells (Morgan), Jordan Wells, and Chandler Jernigan; great-grandchildren, Hailey, Bo, Colt, and Rhett; her sister, Elaine Williams (Ozzie); and her brother-in-law, Richard Lewis.

Trahan Family Funeral Home of Milton is in charge of arrangements.

Private, family services will be held.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bagdad Elementary School, Media Center, 4512 Forsyth Street, Milton, FL 32583. 850-983-5680.