Bish, Extension and research associate in the department, was killed May 18 during an appparent robbery at the Method Station post office on Beryl Road, near the N.C. State campus.

A popular researcher, he was known for his work on developing a fall and winter strawberry crop that could be grown in North and South Carolina. He also was working with the wine grape industry in western North Carolina, serving as the department’s liaison to the N.C. Winegrowers Association and the N.C. Grape Council.

Dr. Tom Monaco, head of the Department of Horticultural Science, said that Bish conducted much applied research and used the results in his extension programs. “The department will miss him, and the industry will be affected by his loss,” said Monaco. “He was extremely hard-working and dedicated to his job.”

Funeral services were held for Bish May 24 in Kittanning, Pa., and a local memorial service was held June 29 at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Cary. Earlier, Raleigh’s Pullen and Martin Street Baptist churches held a “vigil against violence” at the post office where Bish was slain, as an occasion to remember the victims of violence and ask for peace.