Byron G. Bird
Byron G. Bird, 84, passed away Sunday, May 31, 2015 at his home outside of Liberal, KS.
He was born May 15, 1931 at Great Bend, KS, the son of Elmer and Bernice (Comfort) Bird.
He married Donna Battin April 20, 1953 at Manhatten, KS. She survives.
Byron attended a one room school in Albert, KS then completed high school in Great Bend, KS. He then went on to earn his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from K-State University in 1955. Byron and his family moved to Liberal in 1959 where he started his own accounting firm which later became Byron Bird and Associates, from which he retired in 2010. He enjoyed working outside, traveling, hunting, camping, fishing, and 4H. He was a member of Kiwanis Club of Liberal, AICPA, KSCPA, 4H Foundation, SCCC Foundation, PHBA, AQHA, CSPCA, Homecare, Inc., Liberal Jaycees, and the First United Methodist Church of Liberal. Byron was also very active within the community and obtained an honorable list of achievements that include: Serving as the District 10 Kiwanis Lieutenant Governor, Past President of the Liberal Chamber of Commerce, where he received the Chamber of Commerce Merit Award in 1991, Former Chairman of the SCCC Foundation, former president of the Seward County 4-H Foundation, former chairman of the Southwest Medical Center Board of Trustees and a former Southwest Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors Chairman.
Byron was the first recipient of the Public Service Award from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and was also a recipient of the Sam Walton Leadership Award. He was chosen by Governor Mike Hayden as the 1990 Top Volunteer in the Kansas Caring for Kansas Program, named 1991 citizen of the year by Southwest Daily Times and also served on the Governor’s Committee on the Employment of the Handicapped in 1976.
His survivors include Two Sons, Greg Bird and wife Alicia of Liberal, KS, Marshall Bird and wife Lisa of Oviedo, FL; Two Daughters, Linda Billings and husband Marvin of Liberal, KS, and Cynthia Billings of Liberal, KS. Four Grandchildren: Telzey Jantzen of Rose Hill, KS; Andrew Bird of Park City, KS; Clay Billings of Garden City, KS; and Arica White of Liberal, KS. Seven Great Grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers: Tommy Bird, Robert Bird and Lee Bird; one sister: Irma Gaafar
A Memorial Service will be 2:00 pm Saturday June 6, 2015 at the First United Methodist Church of Liberal with Pastor David Randall officiating. A visitation of family and friends will follow the service.
The family suggests memorials to the Byron and Donna Bird Scholarship Fund in care of SCCC/ATS Foundation PO Box 1137, Liberal, KS 67905-1137.
