Bob Bird

On the morning of Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the world dimmed as Robert “Bob” Wayne Bird said goodbye at the age of 85. A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 27 at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck.

Family will greet guests one hour prior.

Burial will be held at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.

Born on October 11, 1939, to Theodore and Pearl Bird, he grew up south of Mandan in St. Anthony and Brien, North Dakota. As a child, he experienced the ranching lifestyle firsthand, even riding a horse to school on occasion. Despite having only an eighth-grade education, Bob was living proof that intelligence doesn't always come from formal schooling. He worked odd jobs on local farms and developed a love for mechanics from his father.

At the age of 14, Bob left home to make his way in the world. He was wild and free until he joined the Navy as a mechanic in 1957, spending most of his service in the Far East near Japan until his discharge in 1960. Bob never met a mechanical problem he couldn't fix. If he didn't have the right tool for the job, he would make it. His brilliance as an engineer served him throughout his life.

Bob returned to his wild and free way of life until he met Nancy Martin, the love of his life. He decided to give up some of that freedom, and they were married on December 29, 1962. He became a highline worker, and home was wherever they were together. Where the work was, they followed. Bob's work took them to Spokane, Washington; Canyon City, Colorado; and Douglas, Wyoming, until they returned to North Dakota and decided that would be their forever home.

Besides his work, Bob and Nancy raised, loved, and supported three children: Danny Bird, Sandy (Dave) Schmidt, and Mike Bird. He started work as a mechanic for the City of Mandan in 1971 and retired in 2004. He enjoyed many mornings having coffee at Ohm's Café with his friends. In those 33 years, no coworker or friend of his knew the cost of an oil change; he offered those as a fringe benefit.

Bob and Nancy loved to travel and went on numerous vacations with their dear friends Jerry and Nita Froehlich. When they lived in Mandan, he furnished nearly every kid he ever laid eyes on with a bike fixed up with odds and ends from “Treasure Island,” known to most as the city dump.

Life became even wilder when he took on his favorite job of all—being a grandpa. He enjoyed every moment spent with them: too many sleepovers, restaurants, camping trips, vacations, movies, and reimagined bikes and toys from Treasure Island to count. The more kids that came into the family, the more he loved and laughed. He realized the only thing better than being a grandpa was being a great-grandpa—less heavy lifting and more laughing when they got in trouble with their parents.

He even got to try his hand at great-great-grandpa duties and was looking forward to adding another baby to that title. Even after retirement, he still worked a 9 to 5 in his garage. He had a full-time job plus overtime keeping Grandma's holiday decorations and garden decorations in working order. Not to mention all the projects his son-in-law got him into, making fire pokers, meat mixers, and whatever else they could dream up to make a secret cash stash to hide away from Grandma's budget.

He traded in the city dump for cleanup week and still found plenty of “treasure” to fix up—from kids' power wheels to lawnmowers and everything in between. You could find him with the door wide open, KBMR 1130 blasting, garage floor covered in peanut and sunflower shells, just working away.

To say that he loved his family and that he was loved does not come close to describing the imprint he left on the hearts of those around him. A man who was always waiting to see you when you showed up—no matter when that was, how long you stayed, or what he was doing. And especially if there was a kid or two in tow. When he laid eyes on the kids he loved, his face could have lit the night sky for all the joy it held.

It's not goodbye; just a good way to say bye until we see you next.

He is survived and loved by his wife Nancy Bird; his daughter Sandy (Dave) Schmidt; his son Mike Bird; his grandchildren Tonya Schmidt, Eric (Whitney) Schmidt, Tosha (Josh) Steinwand, Vanessa (Brandon) Fox-Schmidt, Austin (Victoria) Bird, and Jordan Bird; his great-grandchildren Taylor Rubbelke, Aaliyah Fox, Raleigh Schmidt, Emmalynn Steinwand, Teagan Steinwand, Holden Schmidt, Kameron Voegele, and Jordan Voegele; and his great-great-grandchildren Antonio Ramirez- Austin & Victoria’s soon-to-be baby Bird and many nieces, nephews.

He was preceded in death by his son Danny Bird; parents Ted and Pearl Bird; brothers Dale and Ray Bird; and sister Sis (Alice) Schaeffer.