Jacqueline Bishop Bagnard

The Bagnard family mourns the loss of our matriarch, Jacqueline Bishop Bagnard—or “Jackie,” as we all knew and loved her. She was a guiding light in our family and we celebrate the 96 incredible years of her life with her passing.

Jackie was born in Champaign, Illinois, and was the oldest of two children born to Ward and Anna Bishop. She moved with her parents and younger sister to Southern California in her senior year of high school, ultimately graduating from Uni High School in West Los Angeles and earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

It was at UCLA that Jackie met the love of her life, William L. “Bill” Bagnard, at a fraternity and sorority “mixer” with cross town rival, USC. The two connected while sitting under a piano at the crowded party seeking relief from the noise and mayhem, beginning one of the greatest friendships and love stories of all time.

Jackie and Bill danced, laughed, sang and traveled the world together for 64 years until Bill’s passing in 2016 at 93 years of age. He had quite an impact on her and she would be the first to tell you that although she attended UCLA, she always rooted for USC. Jackie was truly a devoted wife.

She had a brief career in the financial services industry, serving as the office manager for her father’s start up business in wholesale distribution of mutual funds. She was focused and intensely organized, and kept the business operating efficiently, but she wanted to focus on what she felt was her life mission: taking care of others.

Jackie Bagnard was a loving and supportive mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and her family meant everything to her. She selflessly made sure that everyone was happy and made the most of their own passions in life to ultimately achieve their dreams.

She is survived by her son and his wife, her four grandchildren, her two-great grandchildren as well as several nieces and nephews.

We will miss Jackie’s smile and her warm-hearted character. She loved to sing along to the music of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, and she religiously completed both the LA Times and the New York Times crossword puzzles up until the day she passed on.

We are so blessed to have had her in our lives and so fortunate that she joined Bill in Heaven without sickness, pain or suffering. And we are also so grateful for the loving team of caregivers who took care of both of them in the last years of their lives.

We know in our hearts that Jackie is happy to be reunited with Bill, and that they are dancing and smiling down on all of us. And, of course, rooting for the Trojans.

Private family memorial services will be held, and it was Jackie’s wish that in lieu of flowers or donations in her memory, that friends and family donate to the causes that mean the most to themselves.