Geraldine Mae Bird

Geraldine Richards Bird

            Geraldine Mae (Richards) Bird was born in Clarkdale, Arizona on October 7, 1931, and passed peacefully on April 6, 2026, in Cottonwood, Arizona.

            Geraldine (Gerry) was the daughter of Harold Richards and Zola York Richards.  She grew up in various locations throughout Northern Arizona and the Verde Valley going to many local grade schools including Clemenceau, Clarkdale, Red Rock, and Sedona.

            She attended Flagstaff High School, riding the school bus every day from Sedona, through Oak Creek Canyon into Flagstaff.  It was in Sedona that she would meet the love of her life, Don Bird.  After graduating high school in 1949 and attending one year at Arizona State College at Flagstaff (NAU), she would elope with Don in September of 1950 to Las Vegas.

            Gerry and Don spent the early years of their marriage in Sedona raising their three children and working in his family’s business, The Oak Creek Tavern, and later running their own business, the ABC Dry Cleaners.  In 1964, Don began his employment with Mountain Bell which led to a multitude of transfers from Phoenix to Flagstaff, Denver, Scottsdale, Albuquerque, and finally ending in Scottsdale.  Don’s occupation meant Gerry would spend a great deal of time relocating and settling into new homes and finding various forms of occupation for herself along the way.  But she never complained, and the many moves made for exciting adventures and an abundance of good friends.

            After retirement, Gerry and Don split their time between their home in Scottsdale and their cabin in Show Low.  They loved the outdoors, camping, hunting, boating, and fishing.  Gerry also enjoyed adding to her rock and mineral collection, crocheting, and most of all oil painting.  She belonged to several artist’s guilds and painted many lovely pieces over the years.

            Upon Don’s passing in 2004, Gerry would move back to the Verde Valley to be near family and friends.  She was always busy and on the go whether it was cruising, traveling, fishing, or spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren—there never seemed to be down time or a dull moment for her.

            Surviving Gerry are her children:  Donna Green (Tom) of Cottonwood; Harold Bird (Deanna) of Genoa, Nevada; Scott Bird (Kathy) of Scottsdale.  Her grandchildren:  D. K. Green (Aileen) of Cottonwood; Terra Shanks (Donnie) of Cornville, Lauren Burdorf (Steve) of Peoria, Kendall Streeter (Tony) of Phoenix.  And her great grandchildren:  Searlait, Devlin, Ultan, and Greyson Green; Kenlee, Rylee, and D. J. Shanks; Braxton, Bennett, Harper and Sloane Burdorf; and Aubree and Lukas Streeter.  She is also survived by a step granddaughter Drue (Cole) Baginsky and daughter Avery.

            The family will observe her services privately.  In memory of Gerry the family suggests contributions to either Northern Arizona Hospice (who provided loving and compassionate care in Gerry’s final days), or any of the following historical societies:  Verde Valley, Cornville, or Sedona/Red Rock.

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