Richard Blood Bird, Sr.

Our beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend Richard Blood Bird, Sr., 83, passed away peacefully at his home in Midvale, Utah due to old age on Monday, February 1, 2021 surrounded by his family.

Richard was born on April 5, 1937 to Cromwell Bird and Millie Layton Blood in Pocatello, Idaho. He was the fourth of five children (three older sisters and a younger brother). He graduated from Pocatello High School and received his bachelor's degree from Idaho State University and his master's from Brigham Young University.

On August 28, 1961 he married his eternal sweetheart Joyce Carol Molinek in the Idaho Falls Temple. They were married for fifty-nine years and had four children.

Richard was a devout disciple of Jesus Christ and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a two-and-a-half-year mission to the Spanish American Mission starting in 1957 and then in 1958 was transferred to the West Spanish American Mission when he and his companion were assigned as the first full-time missionaries to Baja California Mexico to labor in Tijuana.

Upon returning from his mission and returning to ISU he enrolled in advanced ROTC. After graduating from college in 1964 he was commissioned in the United States Army assigned to the Medical Service Corps. He was on active duty from 1964 to 1966 back in Fort Meade, Maryland. He then served in the United States Army Reserve for 20 years in active reserve status attached to the 328th General Hospital at Fort Douglas before retiring in 1986 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He started teaching at Hillcrest High School in 1968 and was then offered a position as counselor and then became the Director of the Counseling and Guidance Department until he retired in 1996.

He served in many church callings including Stake Missionary, Bishopric Counselor, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Bishop, Stake Sunday School President, Stake Mission Presidency, Stake High Councilor, High Priest Group Leader, Family History Consultant, Jordan River Temple Worker and other callings. He and Joyce served an eighteen month Church Education System mission to the Micronesia Guam Mission 2000 - 2001.

Richard had a thirst for knowledge and enjoyed reading and studying, especially the scriptures and anything related to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The highlight of his week was going to the temple with Joyce and serving with her at the multi-stake family history center each Monday morning. He loved BYU football. He enjoyed baseball and was the batboy for the Pocatello Cardinals when he was younger. He enjoyed playing racquetball. He loved to play rook and backgammon with his family. He enjoyed eating at Chuck-A-Rama. He also spent much of his time tinkering and fixing things around the house. He loved looking for ways to serve others. He loved the Lord and desired to serve him always.

Richard is survived by his wife Joyce and his four children, Vicki, Rick, Christa, and Robert, his three older sisters Marilyn Darling Grant, Margaret Christiansen, and Carol Coon and his younger brother William (Pauline) Bird. He is preceded in death by his parents and brothers-in-law Kent Christiansen, Don Darling, and Dick Coon.

We would like to thank family and friends for the outpouring of love and support. We sincerely thank the caregivers at Intermountain Hospice, especially Amber and Cassidee, for the loving and comforting care the past six weeks.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 6, 2021 at the Midvale East Stake Center, 240 E. Greenwood Circle (7570 S.), Midvale. A viewing will be held from 6:00 - 8:00 pm on Friday, February 5, 2021 at Goff Mortuary, 8090 S. State Street, Midvale and again one hour prior to services at the church. Interment Monday, February 8, 2021 at Utah Veterans Cemetery & Memorial Park, Bluffdale. Due to COVID-19, please wear masks.