Henry L. Bird ’50

Hank died June 13, 2013, near his beloved Casco Bay in Maine. His life was dedicated to serving others and the pursuit of justice as exemplified by his role in the 1960s and ’70s civil rights movement and ministry to the Navajos.

After attending Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., Hank served in the Navy as a medical corpsman. At Princeton, he was captain and stroke of the lightweight crew, which won the Thames Challenge Cup at Henley in 1948. He was a member of Dial and a biology major.

After teaching at Bowdoin College and Middlesex, he earned a master’s degree in divinity from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Mass., and was ordained in 1956. At our 25th, he described his business as “Minister — wherever the call takes me.” And it took him on a fascinating journey as recounted in his memoir, Ride the Wind. His church-related positions were in New England, New Mexico, and finally in Maine, where he retired in 1995.

Rowing was his passion. He rowed year-round in Casco Bay and in the Head of the Charles regattas until he was 76.

Our sympathy goes to Hilde, his wife of 58 years; children William, Holloway, Tad, Paul, and Anna-Sarah; and nine grandchildren.