McKenzee Ri Bird Obituary (1989 - 2019)

Our cherished mother, wife, daughter, sister and aunt, McKenzee Ri Bird, returned to her heavenly home February 7, 2019, due to complications from pneumonia. She passed from this life surrounded by her loving husband and family. She was born on April 25, 1989 in West Valley City to Jody Whittaker and Linda Herstad. She was the first of three daughters. McKenzee was raised in the Salt Lake valley and lived in Colorado for four years. She worked hard to graduate early and with honors from Bingham High School in 2006. She then went on to receive a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Utah. McKenzee married the love of her life, Ross Bird, in Salt Lake City on October 11, 2012 and on September 11, 2014 was sealed for all time and eternity to Ross in the Salt Lake Temple. She brought us two beautiful children, Jackson age 5 and Lily age 3. Her family was the most important thing to her. They always came first in everything she did or planned to do. She is a wonderful mother. McKenzee was currently serving as a Primary Teacher for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She put everything into her lessons. Each child she taught felt her love for them and they all loved her in return. She had a special relationship with her nieces and nephew and they would always want her to be the one to help them. She stood a whopping 4 feet 9 ¼ inches tall and every inch packed with love and energy that all went into her family, friends and any stranger in need. She had the cutest way of wrapping gifts and had a knack for all things crafty, making every gift special, and full of love. McKenzee was always putting others first. She could always be seen loading the kids and multiple large bags into the car, preparing to head out somewhere to serve someone. It was said by her husband that she was “the most forgiving person he ever knew”. She set a great example for us to follow and in her brief time here made a lasting impact on so many lives and will be missed immensely. We will always love you McKenzee! She is proceeded in death by her grandparents James and Mitsue Hata MacDonald, father Jody Whittaker and uncle Jeff MacDonald. She is survived by her husband Ross Bird, children Jackson and Lily, mother Linda Herstad, sisters Lexis (Paul) Kimball and Baylee Herstad, father and mother-in-law Robert and Elaine Bird, Kylee (Cam) Wood, Andrea Bird, Weston (Amber) Bird, her nephew Leo Wood and her nieces Amelia Kimball and Hazel Bird. Her services will be as follows: A viewing will be held on Tuesday, February 12, 2019 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Home, 1007 W South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan Utah 84095. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, February 13, at 11:00 am at the Riverton Central Stake Center on 12852 South 3200 West, Riverton Utah 84065, with a viewing preceding the funeral at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, McKenzee would love for you to donate to Intermountain Donor Services at https://www.idslife.org/. Anyone wanting to assist with her medical and funeral costs can contribute to her GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/for-mckenzee-birds-medical-bills.