Dr. William “Buddy” Bishop, a part-time instructor in the Department of Engineering Technology and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), has died.
Bishop died peacefully on March 12, 2026, in the presence of his family. His loss is felt across the UAH campus. Bishop spent much of his professional life at Redstone Arsenal working for the U.S. Army, and served as chief engineer for two large-scale missile development programs.
Bishop earned a master's degree and a doctorate in electrical engineering from UAH, completing his doctorate in 2006. He served as a UAH instructor beginning in 1978 and was a member of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Board, including service as chair.
"The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department remembers Dr. Buddy Bishop with gratitude and respect,” says Dr. Aleksandar Milenkovic, Chair and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UAH. “Through his service as an Industrial Advisory Board member, adjunct instructor, and advocate, he greatly strengthened the ECE community.”
“His wisdom, generosity, and commitment to students and faculty will be deeply missed."
Bishop, along with his wife, Rosemarie, dedicated much of his life to theological, scholarly, philanthropic and humanitarian efforts aimed at making a positive impact on the world. In 2017, the couple furthered their commitment to education by establishing the Dr. William (Buddy) Y. and Mrs. Rosemarie M. Bishop Award for deserving undergraduate students in electrical and computer engineering at UAH. The award recognizes academic excellence, with recipients selected by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Awards Committee in consultation with the dean of engineering.
Through his decades of service as an engineer, educator, mentor and philanthropist, Bishop left a lasting impact on UAH and the broader engineering community. His legacy will continue through the students he taught, the colleagues he inspired and the award that will support future generations of engineers for years to come.
