Walter Clifton Bird

Walter Clifton WC Bird, 72, of Morgantown WV died unexpectedly May 22, 2017, from heart complications. WC was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church. A man of great compassion and personal caring, he was a trusted advisor and mentor to many. He had a particular expertise in helping people prepare to enter the workforce. His outreach went well beyond the career and employment spectrum. He touched lives in many different ways. Born in Morgantown, WV and a graduate of Morgantown High School he was a 1968 graduate of West Virginia University School of Journalism. While attending WVU, he was inducted in membership to Mountain, Sphinx, and the Scabbard & Blade honoraries. He was a 1965 initiate of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity which he continued to serve throughout his life. He is the immediate past President of the James Cochran House Association. He was a member of the WVU Letterman Club having earned his Varsity Letter in Tennis, a sport which he enjoyed his entire life. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army Signal Corp. He served a full tour in Vietnam where he earned the Bronze Star. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. After his service to the country, WC began a career with Scott Paper Company starting in sales and progressing through various management assignments. He retired as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Along with his wife, Madonna, his first venture after leaving the corporate world was to develop Ash Mill Farm, a bed and breakfast in Bucks County, PA which they operated for 7 years, welcoming the public into their home. He returned to Morgantown where he could enjoy a varied number of passions. He was an artist, architect, and inventor at heart. He was known for his carved and painted gourds. He loved designing and building a variety of things. Inspired by his grandchildren, he engineered a training device to help young baseball and softball players learn to hit and pitch for which he was awarded a patent. He took great pleasure in his affiliation with the Friends of the Art Museum. He tended his garden with the same love and care that he tended to people and his garden always flourished. WC was preceded in death by his parents Dr. and Mrs. Victor E. Bird and grandparents Dr. and Mrs. Walter C. Comley. He is survived by his wife Madonna Bird his daughter Sara Bird Nelson and her husband Chris of Gorham Maine and their two children Benjamin and Emmeline his son Christopher A. Bird of Scottsdale, AZ and his children Jackson, and Ashlin one brother, Robert B. Bird and his wife Kay of Knoxville, TN. Friends and family will be received Tuesday, May 30th 2017 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at Dering-Henson Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, May 31st 2017 at Wesley United Methodist Church in Morgantown followed by a reception at the Church. A private burial service will follow at East Oak Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to either of the following Charities: The WVU Foundation, P.O.Box 1650, Morgantown, WV 26507 for the 2V312 Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Fund or The West Virginia Alpha Educational Fund of Phi Kappa Psi, P.O.Box 631,Morgantown, WV 26507 to provide academic scholarships for young men of character. Condolences may be offered online at www.dering-henson.com. Caring services are provided by Dering-Henson Funeral Home.

Walter passed on May 22, 2017

Friend will be received Tuesday, May 30, 2017 from 5-8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Services will be held on May 31, 2017

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