Casey Bird

Casey Elliot Bird Arrived in this world on Sept 11, 1983 at Martin Army Hospital, Ft. Benning, GA. Departed July 4, 2017 to be with his Lord and Savior. An Army brat, Casey moved 12 times and lived in 7 states by the time he was 17 years old. These moves required him to change high schools 4 times. Casey loved and continues to love our Creator; Savior; Lord. That relationship shaped every aspect of Casey’s life; personal conduct; curiosity of science and human nature…and the desire to improve himself and others. He was not perfect, but he was always looking to improve himself and to live consistent with his faith in G-d. Growing up with a head-injured mother and military father presented many challenges. And yet, Casey took life in stride, with a smile and humorous quip from every worldly encounter. He befriended everyone, made them feel important and made them laugh. In every relationship, Casey was a healer and an encourager; he had a “You can do this; I’ll help you attitude.” Among his many unusual feats growing up, was caring for his younger sister, Carey. He changed her diapers at all hours of the night, played with her and gave her some great memories. He made audio recordings of plays that his older sister Charity had written, and that they had acted out together; then he sped up the sound to make their voices sound like chipmunks…hours of hilarity ensued. Through all the moves and many road trips, Casey was Charity’s first friend everywhere they went. One example was just after the family moved to Ft. Bragg, NC. Charity was 12 and Casey 9 and they were very lonely. Charity recalls, “Dad allowed us to sleep together for 5 nights, but then made us sleep in our own beds. That is when we discovered speaking through the air vents…and we talked through the night, until we fell asleep. At 17, Casey enlisted in the U.S. Army and served honorably for 8 years, including a tour in Iraq. Casey’s awards include: Army Reserve Achievement Medal; Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device; and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Always a computer geek, Casey became a tech support agent for In-Motion Web Hosting, Inc. This was a natural fit for Casey and he was promoted frequently; his last position was as Community Relations Officer for Web Clients. As always, Casey did much more than his job; he built teamwork and cohesion across many departments. One only needs to read through Casey’s Facebook page to realize the effect he had on everyone who knew him. Casey’s boss wrote, “When I look back at the time I’ve spent with Casey, I see Jesus Christ. Without a word spoken between us about our mutual faith, he was able to affect mine. In Casey’s death, I have found life and I’m eternally grateful.” Casey demonstrated his incredible courage the last few weeks of his life. He maintained his composure even as the news of his cancer and his infection became worse and worse…and, as the pain was nearly unbearable, Casey continued to show concern and compassion towards everyone else. And, again, he made friends everywhere – the nurses loved him as he thanked them…and even as he played tricks on them; “Where’s my diamond necklace?” he said, as they were preparing to move him to another floor. And they fell for the joke; Casey smiled…and they laughed. Who, but Casey? Although he lived a short life, his impact on so many people is an undeniable fact. Casey Elliot Bird was a well-loved and highly regarded man with a kind heart and a gift for making people smile. Donations in his memory may be made to one (1) of the following organizations: Army Emergency Relief: https://www.aerhq.org/ USO: https://www.uso.org/ VFW: https://www.vfw.org/