Roger Glenn Bird

Our beloved Roger G. Bird, passed away right before midnight on August 3, 2023. He left for heaven shortly before his 75th birthday which would have been on the 5th. He was born in Ft. Worth to Dorothy & Glenn Bird, and grew up in Arlington, TX. He attended Sam Houston High School and started his working career at Six Flags of Arlington as a ride operator foreman his senior year of high school. After graduation, he worked for various companies in the mid to late 60s’ including returning to his work at Six Flags during operating seasons, working on the assembly line for companies like General Motors Corporation (where his father’s career was) and Star Automotive Warehouse, and he was also worked for City of Arlington Parks & Rec as a recreation worker. He attended the University of Texas at Arlington pursuing a degree in Business Administration Management. He ultimately left UTA to discover a path to computer programming and received a degree at Control Data Institute in Phase IV Master of Operating Systems.

He then chose to enlist to the Army in spring of 1970 during the Vietnam War, being proud to make that decision voluntarily before the draft. He continued his love for computer programming while in the military, being hired with his degree to work for the US Army Finance and Comptroller Information Systems Command under the Automation Division from April 70’ through April 72’ and then left for his active-duty posts. He was stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington, and then Ft. Holabird in Maryland as a PFC. He was then transferred to Ft. Myer, Virginia for some time, before remaining at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana. He completed Systems Analysis Correspondence coursework while he was there, at the U.S. Army Adjunct General School that gave him additional tools in system design and analysis work, system flowcharting, forms control, and project control for the Army. He was honorably discharged as a Specialist E-5 from the Army in 1976 with a good conduct medal. He continued his work as a senior computer programmer and analyst in companies like Tandy Computer Services, Bosco Fastening Service, Venture Solutions, and Taylor Communications to name a few. He was very passionate about his work, and never wanted to retire but his declining health caused him to. His family has been and always will be so proud of his hard work, and his support.

He was a proud papa to his only granddaughter and loved being around family, especially during the holidays. We always joked that he loved a good home cooked meal! He was a local to many of his favorite restaurant spots like Waffle House, IHOP, Chili’s, Hooters, Whataburger, Tommy Tamale to name a few. He was an avid sports fan and loved watching the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. Roger enjoyed many hobbies, including his love for collecting. He enjoyed playing computer games, which inspired his son Jory, and his nephew Michael (Chris) to have a love for it as well. He was an avid Harley rider, attending motorcycle events for many years with his best friend Larry and his wife Sandi. His friends in the Harley community would call him “Dudley” named after a character from the Wild Hogs movie. Roger was also an avid golfer for many years where he would play locally. He had a love for action movies and an ear for a wide variety of music. Roger was known for his kindness, being a great listener, and the biggest practical jokester. If you knew Roger, you knew he always loved to tease and joke to make everyday life more fun. He will be so missed in this world, and we know he is in a better place.

Roger leaves behind: His son, Jory Price and wife Caitlin Connolly Price, granddaughter Olivia Price; His sisters, Janet Turpin, and Sheila Manu; one niece Alisha Manu, four nephews Ricky Ward and wife Jennifer, Michael (Chris) Wingard and wife Natalie, A.J. Manu and wife Lynn, and Shane Manu; 5 great nieces and 1 great nephew.

Funeral Service Location: VA Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery on Thursday, August 24th @10am

Address: 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211

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