Daniel W. "DW" Bird Jr

Daniel W. "DW" Bird Jr., age 91, died April 30, 2016. He was the youngest of 16 children born to Daniel W. and Anna Bird in Yantis, Texas. He spent his youth growing up in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandle during the depth of the depression years. To help support his family he worked on the farm until he went into the US Army at age 19 during WW II. He did his training with the 88th Infantry at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He served in North Africa and then in Italy where he was wounded. He returned to Camp Fannin, Texas where he was Honorably Discharged and then married his childhood sweetheart, Jean Vinson in 1945 in Dumas, Texas. They remained committed and devoted to each other for 63 years until her death in 2008. During their life together, they moved frequently from towns in Texas and Oklahoma before settling in Dumas. After that New Mexico beckoned and in 1958 they moved the family to their new home in Grants where he worked for Phillips processing facility and then in 1963 settled in Albuquerque where they spent the rest of their days. DW is survived by his children, Alysa Bird, Danny W. Bird III and wife Bonnie, Carol Lynn Ortiz and husband Robert; five grandchildren, and five great grandchildren; and many other family and friends. He was preceded in death not only by his wife and parents but also all of his siblings. Friends may visit Friday, May 6, 2016, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at FRENCH - Lomas. Services will be Saturday, May 7, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at Manzano Baptist Church, 12411 Linn Ave NE, Albuquerque with burial to follow at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery.