Lisa Bird

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Navy Veteran Lisa Marie Bird, 63, on Saturday, December 21, 2024, after a two-and-a-half-year fight with cancer.

Lisa left this realm knowing how loved she was by her wife and partner, Tammy Bird; their children, Elijah, Crystal, Angela, Roscoe, Nic, Katie, and Sarah; her grandchildren, Callie, Mae, Leah, Alejandro, Lillie, Destiny, Kaleb, Asher, Shane, Chris, Chandler, RJ, Halie, Andrew, Luke, and Sadie, all of whom gave her strength to carry on even when the struggle seemed too great, her mom, Violet (Vi) Coe, with whom she talked every night just to say, “I love you,” her three big sisters, Teresa, Mary, and Pat, her heart sister, Val Richfield, and so many other family members, friends, and colleagues.

Lisa loved reading fiction, watching crime shows with Sasha, dancing in the kitchen to the oldies, taking pictures of clouds and the moon, and having taco night with her family. She loved all things tech, and she loved to learn. She loved a challenge and was proud of going back to school, ultimately earning degrees in computer science and an MBA and starting a second career in the tech industry. We owe a special thanks to the team at Nutanix, who she said welcomed “this gray-haired older woman into their lair and treated her like she always belonged.” She loved her job as a systems reliability engineer II, and we knew until the last moment that she was respected and admired by those she worked with. She was only sorry that she never got to go back into the office after her diagnosis.

Our thanks as well to all of you who kept her spirits up and helped when we needed it most. Your willingness to walk Sasha, prepare meals, hold auctions, mow the lawn, provide housekeeping assistance, and much more made the journey so much easier for us, and we are moved by your loving care and generosity.

Losing the heart of our family is hard, but we are grateful for the countless memories we have created together. If you would like to share memories of your own or just spend some time around others whose lives were made better for having known her, please join us for a celebration of life on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at The Farmhouse in Wendell Falls at 2:00 PM. The address is 320 Vintage Point Ln, Wendell, NC 27591. Orange was her favorite color; if you are so inclined, please wear it in her honor. She also loved snarky tee-shirts, so that’s an option, too.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Lisa’s name to a cancer foundation of your choice or have an earth-saving tree or shrub planted in her name.