Born May 1, 1931, in Gary Indiana to Robert Birdsong Sr and Susan Jester and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1950. He married Cradelia Ingram in 1953 an immediately shipped out to Germany to serve two years in the US Army in the Korean War.
He graduated from Roosevelt University in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In 1962 he received his master’s degree from De Paul University in Personnel Management.
Mr. Birdsong started working as a Management Trainee with the Chicago regional office of Civil Service Commission in 1962. He was promoted to the position of the Civil Service Representative in charge of the Detroit, MI office in 1967 and moved his family to Detroit.
In 1970 he was selected to serve as Assistant Director of the CSC’s office of Federal Equal Employment Opportunity. The Birdsong family moved to Columbia in 1971.
In 1983, Mr. Birdsong completed his J. D. Law Degree from UMBC. Mr. Birdsong later worked for the FAA as Deputy Director of Equal Employment Opportunity until his retirement.
Mr. Birdsong married his second wife Evelyn Gail in 2009 after the death of Cradelia.
Mr. Birdsong spent his entire life being active in his community. He helped establish the Columbia chapter of Tots and Teens, was a member of Detroit Federal Executive Board, a member of Detroit Mayor’s Committee on Employment of the handicap. He was a founding member of the Warring-Mitchell Law Society of Howard County, MD. Founding member of the Columbia Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Phi Fraternity. Founding Board Member of the Negro League Baseball Museum of Maryland, and other philanthropic causes too numerous to name.
Mr. Birdsong is preceded in death by his first wife Cradelia Birdsong, and his sister Essie Hill. Survived by his wife Evelyn Gail-Birdsong. Father of Jerome Keith Birdsong and wife DeeAnn, and Pamela Birdsong-Edeen and husband David. Step-father of Mark Gail, and David Gail and wife Rivian. Brother of Leonard Birdsong and wife Yvette, and Calvin Birdsong. Grandfather of Jerome Robert Birdsong, Yngwie Edeen and wife Wiltssy, Malcolm Edeen, Satchel Edeen, and Cameron Birdsong. Great-grandfather of five. Family will receive friends at St. John United Church, at Wildlake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd, Columbia, MD 21044 on Thursday, June 6, from 10am – 12pm, where funeral services will begin at 12pm. Interment Columbia Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. John United Church.
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