Robert A Bishton

BISHTON ROBERT ARTHUR BISHTON On October 25, 2011. Robert was born in Ilion, New York on December 31, 1922, the son of Frederick Bishton and Helena A. Bagans. A member of the National Honor Society, he was graduated from Ilion High School in 1940. A graduate of the University of Maryland, where he met and married his wife of 48 years, Jane Plitt, he was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and the Omicron Delta Kappa honorary leadership fraternity. He then served in the Navy until the end of WWII. He entered Georgetown University Graduate School to obtain a Masters Degree in International Relations and Political Science. He received his appointment as a diplomat in the Foreign Service, U.S. Department of State, in 1948 and began his career living in Dublin, Ireland and Bangkok, Thailand. After spending a year at Cornell University to become a Southeast Asia area and Indonesian Language Specialist, he was assigned to the American Consulate in Surabaja, Indonesia and as Consul to the Portuguese colony in Timor. He later also served as Political Officer and Indonesian Language Officer in Djakarta. In 1959 Robert was transferred to Rotterdam, Netherlands as Consul to administer a refugee program of Indonesian-Dutch refugees from Indonesia. He was then assigned for two years in Washington, DC to the Office of Special Consular Services and Liaison Officer with the National Military Command Center, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1967 he was asked to go to Saigon, Viet-Nam as 25/2011 Consul General. In 1969 he was transferred as Consul General to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in 1975 as Consul General to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Fluent in the Indonesian, French, Spanish and Dutch languages, Robert retired from the Foreign Service Diplomatic Corps in 1980 with the rank of Minister Conselor and Consul General after 36 years of credible government service to Albany Georgia. Mr. Bishton is survived by his five children, Patricia J. Swanson of Phoenix, MD, Sandra B. Stevens of McLean, VA, Robert J. Bishton of Ft. Myers Beach, FL, Michael P. Bishton of Bethesda, MD and David L. Bishton of Peachtree City, GA; his brother, James L. Bishton of Onalaska, WI; his grandchildren, Cassandra, Ross, Jennifer, Tyler and Robert D., Harrison; and great-grandchildren, Evan, Alexis, Ella and Hailey. A viewing will be held at the Demaine Funeral Home, 520 S. Washington Street in Alexandria on Saturday, October 29 from 2 to 6 p.m. A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 228 S. Pitt Street, Alexandria on Sunday, October 30 at 1 p.m. He will be interred at Rock Creek Cemetery on Monday at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be made to The American Heart Association and Smile Train. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be made to The American Heart Association and Smile Train.