Obituary: Richard L. Bird, Jr.

Richard L. Bird, Jr.

1907 ~2008

Richard L. Bird, Jr. passed away peacefully at home, just as he

wished, on February 15, 2008.

He was born April 13, 1907 in Salt Lake City, the son of Richard Leo and Hannah Bertha Bird. His mother died when he was six years old, and his father later married Mae Alder. He grew up in Forest Dale, attended LDS High, and then the University of Utah, where he affiliated with Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He served a mission for the LDS Church in England in 1926 to 1928.

He was accepted into Harvard Law School and received an L.L.B. Degree in 1933. He returned to Salt Lake City, passed the Utah Bar exam and fell in love with Mirra Jacobs, but decided that opportunity lay in Washington D.C. with the Department of Justice. On August 18, 1935, they were married in Salt Lake City and she joined him in Washington D.C. They enjoyed being in the nation's capitol, but the West beckoned and they returned to Salt Lake City for good in 1938, where all four of their children were born and raised.

Richard's Utah legal career started as a law clerk in the Utah Supreme Court, then as a Utah State Tax Commission attorney. In 1944 he formed a law firm with Lynn S. Richards, which has continued until the present time, eventually being known as Richards, Bird & Kump. The firm has included Lon Rodney Kump, Richard's son, David J. Bird, and Lynn's son, James Richards, and others. He was active in the practice of law until just recently, and was reputed to be the oldest practicing lawyer in Utah.

He was happily married to Mirra 57 years until her death in 1992. Three years later, he married a long-time friend, Alex Clawson, with whom he enjoyed 11 wonderful years until her death in 2006. He built lasting relationships with Alex's family that brought him joy to the end.