Deanna Rae Bird

On March 9, 2019, Deanna Rae Dunford Bird, 74, of Monroe, quietly passed into the loving arms of Jesus. She was born in Topeka, Kansas on November 22, 1944. She was preceded in heaven by her husband, Daniel Cecil Bird; her parents, James William Dunford and Alice Eileen Bardsley Dunford; her step-mother, Agnes Faye Henry Dunford; her brother, James Preston Dunford; her many devoted pets, to include, Jack the dog, and her cats, Chloe, Kirby, and Pete. Deanna had a wide, varying and productive career. She initially worked for Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Topeka prior to her lifelong work with the federal government. In that capacity, she held many significant positions to include working in the Executive Office of the President, under Ronald Reagan; the Office of Management and Budget; and the BiCentennial Commission. Deanna was a loving friend to all animals. She would feed and care for wildlife on her property as well as supported many animal shelters. She loved it when the raccoons would come on her porch looking for food and they would nibble on her ankles. She fed them as well as possums and other wild life. Her all-encompassing acts of kindness will be missed by family and friends — both people and animal. Deanna is survived by her son, Daniel Cecil Bird II (Dawn); her daughter, Laura Lee Jones; two grandchildren, James Jones (Amy) and Jacob Jones; two great granddaughters, Eliana and Abigail Jones; brothers, Bill Dunford of Topeka, KS and Ed Dunford of Olathe, KS; sisters, Margaret Dunford Bargewell of Marietta, GA and Connie Dunford Kelsey of Silver Lake, KS; four cats, Mikey, Snow, Jessie, and Bow; and numerous niece and nephews. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the members of Elon Baptist Church, especially Beth, Martha, and Carolyn, for being there for Deanna and her immediate family. They would also like to thank two of the best nurses who took care of Deanna, Jessica and Rachel for their kindness and support. The family will receive friends from 3 to 5 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Elon Baptist Church. A funeral service will be held at 2 pm on Sunday, March 17, 2019 at Elon Baptist Church, with Pastor Steve Tyree officiating. For those wishing to make memorial contributions, the family would like you to consider Best Friends Animal Society, ASPCA, The Humane Society, or a local animal shelter of your choice.