Gregory Michael Bird

Gregory Michael Bird, age 67, passed away on Monday, August 7, 2023 from a cardiac event while traveling on an adventure with his motorhome in Arizona.

Greg was born on September 20, 1955 in Shreveport, Louisiana to Glen Millan Bird and Barbara York Bird.

He attended Olympus High School in Salt Lake City, before joining the Army. He served his country proudly from 1973-1977, then decided to go to college at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Later he earned an MBA from Thomas Edison State College.

His first year of college he took all the math classes the school offered and was disappointed there were no more math classes.

He met Janice Jepperson Bird, when he was 16 and married her in 1976. They were married for 27 years and had two children Angelique Bird and Geoffrey Michael Bird.

His career as an engineer started in Utah. He then took a job in Connecticut and later one in Tennessee, then Wisconsin, and Ohio, finally retiring in Florida while traveling part of the year in his motorhome. He worked in different industries (airplanes, sporting goods, ceiling fans, retail fasteners), but always as an engineer. He is listed as the inventor on somewhere between 33-99 patents.

He met Coleen Bird after he moved to Wisconsin. He remarried to her in 2007.

He lived a life of continual learning, adventure and a drive for excellence, pushing himself to test and expand what he could do.

He worked hard and he played hard. If something was worth doing, it was worth going all in with your attention, focus and drive.

He questioned everything. “If you think you are right, you will never look for the answer that would have shown you were wrong.”

He liked fast cars, motorcycles, airplanes, hunting, shooting, the great outdoors, traveling to places of natural beauty, photography, off-roading, and flying aerobatics.

Greg was predeceased by his parents and two of his sisters Pamela Hoffman and Sharon Gardner.

He is survived by his wife Coleen Bird, his  sister Debra Manteghi, his 2 children Angelique Bird and Geoffrey Bird (wife Marisa Bird) and 4 grandchildren Alex Vandenbergh, Eva Vandenbergh, Abigal Bird and Garrett Bird.

Services will be held as follows:

Saturday, August 19, 2023

Russon Brothers Mortuary
295 N Main, Bountiful, UT
Visitation from 12:45-1:45 pm
Funeral Service at 2 pm

Graveside service to follow at Larkin Sunset Lawn. 2350 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City, UT

In lieu of flowers please send donations to the National Rifle Association or the National Parks Foundation.

Services will be streamed live on Russon Brothers Mortuary Facebook page and this obituary page.