Memorial Service:
Sunday, July 9, 2017 at 3:00 PM
in the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Cape Coral,
1813 El Dorado Parkway West, Cape Coral, FL 33914.
Note: You are invited to wear red, white and blue in honor of Dennis's patriotic spirit.
Obituary:
Dennis Wayne Bird of Fort Myers, Florida passed away on June 24, 2017. Dennis was born in Salina, Kansas on June 9, 1944 to Dr. Ivan F. & Marjorie Bird. He is survived by his mother and two sisters Diana Robinson and Marilyn Bird.
Dennis graduated Trenton Central HS, New Jersey in 1962 (where he was on the Junior #3 Swim Team), and Tusculum College, Greenville, TN in 1967. He traveled Europe, then went to work a hospital laboratory technologist. Eventually, he earned a Masters Degree in Education and went back to his alma mater, TCHS, to teach science and touch many, many lives.
In December, 1969, Dennis was married to the love of his life, Leslie Judith. They were married 43 years until she passed away May 10, 2013. Dennis and Leslie brought into the world their most important treasure, Kevin Wayne Bird, who survives his father.
Dennis loved life on his farm in New Jersey and often spoke of happy memories there. He retired in 2009 and moved to Florida permanently. He found joy in helping others. No matter what, if he saw or heard that a friend or neighbor needed something done or fixed, he was on it! He left this world helping his friends...doing what he loved! When he wasn't helping others, he was enjoying his beloved dogs, Fritzi and Patches.
Dennis will be sorely missed by a wide circle of friends in his neighborhood, at church, and at CHIP Health gatherings.
Dennis continued to help others upon passing as an organ donor, giving five people a new life.
In his memory, Dennis would want donations to be sent to Hope Hospice, 9470 Healthpark Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33908 www.hopehospice.org. This organization took care of his beloved wife and for the past four years he took flowers to the hospice nurses every Friday.
This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Dennis Bird, 73, born on June 9, 1944 and passed away on June 24, 2017. We will remember him forever.
He generously donated his time to help prepare delicious meals for our Chip class. He was a kind, gentle spirit to all those he encountered.
Ask any teacher about the biggest waste of time and energy in their school and invariably they will respond,
"Faculty meetings".
I will never forget a particularly upsetting one in which we were told that the asbestos in the building was in the "acceptable level range" and that we need not worry. I lost my cool and yelled at administration that there is no such thing as acceptable levels of toxins in the air, particlarly since we are in the building 7-8 hours a day. They told me I would get an email containing a report. Never got it.
Dennis comes up to me, (he was retiring that year) and says to me,
"Fight them bastards tooth and nail, and don't let them get away with BULL$!!! like that".
He was right. Mr. Bird always challenged the b.s.
Because of him, I do too.
