Councillors and staff at Hull City Council are deeply saddened to hear the news of the recent passing of our beloved Jean Bishop.
A true legend in the city, Jean’s lifetime of achievements run far and wide, including raising more than £124,000 for Age UK over 30 years, carrying the Olympic flame through Hull in 2012, receiving a Pride of Britain Award in 2013 and being awarded the Freedom of the City and British Empire Medal in 2017. The city also recognised Jean’s efforts through conferment of the Lord Mayor of Kingston upon Hull and Admiral of the Humber Award, which provided Jean with the courtesy title of Honorary Burgess.
Councillor Lynn Petrini, Lord Mayor of Hull said: “We are truly saddened by Jean’s death. Jean and her incredible contributions to this city have inspired many generations of our residents and she will be greatly missed by the people of Hull. Our sympathies are with Jean’s friends and family at this sad time.”
It is with great sadness today that we share the news that our very own Jean ‘Busy Bee’ Bishop has passed away peacefully aged 99 🐝
Jean was one in a million, an absolute diamond and a great ambassador for the city as well as our most valuable asset. pic.twitter.com/Du88tdCxnS— Age UK Hull (@AgeUKHull) October 8, 2021
Councillor Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “Jean was a force to be reckoned with and an inspiration to us all. I extend our deepest sympathies to Jean’s family and friends and to everyone she touched at this very difficult time.
“Her years of campaigning for Age UK and famous Bee Lady costume are ingrained in Hull and will live on forever.”
Jean’s campaigning efforts were most recently recognised in 2018 when the revolutionary ‘Jean Bishop Integrated Care’ Centre opened in East Hull. The centre is renowned for improving the lives of frail and older people in the city and won the best Community/Primary Care Service Redesign in the North, Midlands and East at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards in 2019.
