HENRY LISTER BIRD

Published on 12/01/2017

BIRD Henry Lister Henry Lister Bird passed away on Boxing Day, December 26, 2016 aged 91. Henry was born in Keighley in 1925 and he will be dearly missed by his wife Elizabeth, son Tim, daughter Kate and his two grand-daughters Lucy and Sophie and his younger sister Brenda as well as dear friends and relatives. Henry joined the RAF during WW2 and trained as a rear gunner in Lancaster Bombers. After the war he studied at Lancaster University and became a teacher, firstly at Parkwood School. He also worked in Singapore at the Royal Naval School in the 1950’s before returning to Keighley to become Headmaster of Oakworth Primary School until 1966 when he returned to Singapore for a second time. He then went on the be a Head teacher in Hong Kong and then Germany before he returned to the UK in 1975 to become Head Teacher at Danbury School in Essex, the biggest primary school in the UK at the time. Henry retired aged 58 back to Yorkshire and the town of Silsden, he later moved again, with his late wife Marie of 50 years, to East Sussex when their first granddaughter Lucy, daughter of Kate, was born. Marie passed away in 1997 after a long illness and Henry returned to Yorkshire again where he married a lifelong friend Elizabeth O’Brien. They lived in Ilkley and were married nearly 19 years. In retirement Henry kept busy helping start the Victims Support Scheme in Keighley, Ilkley and Shipley where he became Chairman and co-ordinator. He was one of the team who helped the victims of the Bradford City fire disaster visiting many victims and next of kin. He was an officer in the Royal Observer Corp and had been a scout leader too. He loved both Rugby union and league, Yorkshire cricket and Leeds United with son Tim. Up to the day he died he would read the paper on his iPad and books on his Kindle. He was an avid reader all his life. He loved time with his family and friends and always stayed as active as he could loving walks along the River Wharfe from Bolton Abbey to Barden Bridge. Henry always had a smile for all those around him…in the later days of his life the carers and the nurses at Airedale Hospital looked after him wonderfully. He lived a great life and will be missed by all. The funeral service will take place on Wednesday, January 18, at St. John's Church, Ben Rhydding, at 1.00p.m., followed by cremation at Skipton Crematorium, at 2.10p.m. Family flowers only please but donations in memory of Henry may be given to either British Heart Foundation or Cancer Research and a plate for this purpose will be available at the service.

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