Col. Dallas Atwood Bird (USAF, retired) died on Saturday, January 28th, 2006 in Colville, Washington, after 86 years of a life built around service to his God, his country, and his family. He loved music, singing especially, became a Master Gardener, raised dogs and cats and horses, and, at the end of the day, could be found listening quietly over the smoke of his pipe as his family, around the dinner table or in the living room, discussing the world.
The fourth child of Chauncey and Minta Bird, Dallas was born March 26th, 1919. He was raised in Sheridan, Wyoming, in the company of his three brothers (Forrest, Ken, and Hugh), two sisters (Helen Pierce and Virginia McClintock) and the looming presence of the Big Horn Mountains. Though he would travel far, much of his family and a friendly poker game could always be found there in Sheridan, and it would always be home to him.
Dallas would meet his wife of 63 years, Betty Fosbury, at the University of Nebraska. The Lincoln girl liked the looks of a man from cowboy country, and they were married in June 1942 and moved to Denver, where they had a daughter, Linda, and Dallas graduated from Iliff School of Theology. The three of them moved to Salt Lake City and then to Ogden, Utah, serving in the First Methodist Church, while adding a son, Stephen, and drawing in a circle of friends that would be among their most enduring relationships.
A career in the Air Force followed, with two more children, DiAnne and Jim, and a collection of addresses from England to Morocco to Okinawa. He was proud to do a tour of duty as a combat chaplain in Viet Nam, as well. As with his Ogden parish, Dallas found with each assignment he was also collecting a wealth of dear friends with whom he and Betty would stay in touch as he retired from the military at Mountain Home, Idaho, after 28 years of service. In 1978, Dallas would take a parish in Goehner, Nebraska, a small church that would become one of his favorites. He and Betty moved to a home they built on the Nebraska prairie near Raymond and planted trees and a garden and grew yet another life together, sharing a parcel of land with their daughter DiAnne and her husband, Allen Hughes.
Colville drew Dallas and Betty, at last, where their eldest daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Harvey Wier, lived. Its quiet mountain seclusion was a life-long dream realized. They build another home there, where they would share the holidays and the seasons with an extended family that continued to grow. Along with the two daughters mentioned above, Dallas is survived by his wife, Betty; four siblings, Helen, Virginia, Ken and Hugh; two sons and their wives, Stephen and DottyAnne, Jim and Karen; nine grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
Memorial services for Dallas Bird were held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, February 3, 2006 at the First Congregational Church in Colville with Reverend Stephen Bird officiating. Memorials may be made to either the Iliff School of Theology or Doctors Without Borders.
The DANEKAS FUNERAL CHAPEL AND CREMATORY was in charge of arrangements.