He was born in 1929, to the late Hazel M. (Rhodes) and G. Arthur Bird in Fort Wayne, Indiana. James grew up on Lincoln Avenue in Fort Wayne and graduated from South Side High School in 1947. Before graduation, he joined the Air National Guard and after graduation, he started to work at General Electric, working in various positions including drafting and machine operator. He was drafted into the Air Force where he spent two years as a mechanic stationed in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Duluth, Minnesota. In the Air Force, he served in the honor guard and military band. Upon returning to civilian life in Fort Wayne, he resumed work at GE where he joined an apprenticeship program and graduated as a machinist toolmaker. About that time, he met and fell in love with Marjorie Graebner. They were married on November 17, 1956, and spent the next three years in various cities before settling down in Illinois and raising three sons, Richard, Kenneth, and Michael. In Illinois, James was active in civic affairs, including the Baptist church, community theater, the credit union, and Cub Scouts. He participated in the Junior Chamber of Commerce and served a term as the state vice president. He sat on a local mental-health board, was on the board of directors of the local career center, and, when the boys were in high school, was president of the band boosters. In 1980 James and Marjorie relocated to Largo and later Clearwater, Florida. James continued to work in various manufacturing settings as manager and vice president of manufacturing. At the end of his work career, he travelled to various international locations, including Hong Kong, Haiti, and Brazil.
Throughout his life, he was an avid car enthusiast. The first car that James drove was a Whippet. Even into his 90s, he could be seen driving his prized Alfa Romeo around Clearwater. He was also a model enthusiast, building many models over the years, including models of the various cars that he owned. Among other crafts, he constructed and refurbished doll houses. He was notorious for using wine corks for arts-and-crafts projects, and people from all over the country mailed him their left-over corks. Ever in love, James and Marjorie shared a passion for travel and visited all 50 states during their marriage of 61 years.
He was active until the end of his life, and celebrated his 90th birthday at Disney World with his family, where he told everybody he met that he was “49 and holding.”
James was preceded in death by Marjorie, his parents, two sisters (Rosemary and Grace), and a daughter-in-law (Kimmerly Klee-Bird).
He is survived by his sons, Richard (Leslie); Kenneth; and Michael (Carla); three grandchildren, Katelyn ; Kristopher (Colleen Coley) ; and Shelisa ; and one great-grandchild, Arthur.
A funeral Service will be held Saturday August 27 at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the American Red Cross.
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