James T. Bird

James T. Bird, 87, of Marlin passed away peacefully on Monday, April 8, 2013 in a Temple hospital. Typical of his humble nature, Mr. Bird requested a simple graveside service open to friends and family to attend. Graveside service will be held at the Waite Cemetery in Reagan, TX on County Road 252 at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2013 with Judge Robert Stem officiating. Mr. Bird was born in Axtell to George and Ruth Butler Bird. He lived most of his life in Marlin and the Panama Canal Zone. He was a historian, traveled extensively in his younger years and loved all things related to shipping and transportation. He was a Lieutenant in the Maritime Service during WWII and served in the Merchant Marines as Purser-Pharmacist Mate on freight vessels with the United States Lines and as Chief Purser on freight & passenger ships with Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. - where he met his loving wife Florence of 60 years. He also sailed on Panama Line Ships and eventually took a job shore-side with the Panama Canal Company in New Orleans. In 1966, he transferred to the Canal Zone in Panama as Chief of the Terminals Division. He relocated his family to the Canal Zone, where his career progressed to Deputy Director over the Transportation & Terminals Bureau, consisting of all shipping, terminals, railroad, automotive and transportation related divisions operated by the Panama Canal Company. Mr. Bird was involved in the transition process of turning the Canal Zone over to Panama in 1979 up to his retirement in 1982, when he and his wife relocated back to Texas. Mr. Bird was an avid collector of rare stamps, coins and bottles - which he and his family dug up from the jungles of Panama. In his retirement years, he enjoyed vegetable gardening, spending time with family and restoring his family farm. Mr. Bird was extremely loving and proud of his three children, James Bird, Jr. of Huntsville, TX, George Bird of Reagan, TX, and Bettyann Bird of San Diego, CA, and his grandson, Michael Bird of Washington DC. He is also survived by his loving wife and best friend, Florence Bird of Marlin and his sister, Mildred (Sissy) Shook of Charleston, MS.