Dale's obituary
Dale Alan Bird, formerly of Schenectady, New York, passed away on May 21st, 2023 with his family by his side. After spending a majority of his life in New York, Dale moved with his wife and daughter to Moncks Corner, South Carolina in 2015. In 2018, at the age of 61 years old, Dale was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s disease (HD), also known as Huntington’s Chorea, is a rare, incurable neurodegenerative disease that is mostly inherited. Dale inherited HD from his father, who also died from this disease.
Dale was an absolute jokester with zero filter and never one to take life too seriously. He was a family man who would do anything for those he loved. Dale was an excellent bowler and was inducted into the PBA Bowling Hall of Fame. He enjoyed the finer things in life, including fried bologna sandwiches, Stewart’s chocolate ice cream, and refrigerated M&Ms by the handful. Dale was very involved in youth sports, spending many years as a basketball referee and little league umpire, and he was well loved by his entire community. He was a lifelong Cincinnati Bengals fan and his passion for the team was passed to both of his children and his grandson. Last fall, Dale was able to take a trip to Cincinnati with his family to catch a winning game, and it is a trip they all remember fondly.
Dale is survived by his wife, Debi Bird, his kids Randy (Elaine) Bird and Danielle (Tyler) Bird, his beloved grandson, Easton Bird, his “sister” Claudia Cuff, and his “favorite ex wife” Terri Cafarelli. Dale was predeceased by his father, Joseph Bird, his mother, Josephine Bird and his brother, George Bird.
A celebration of life for family and close friends will be held this fall at Dale’s favorite Schenectady restaurant, Ferrari’s, to the backdrop of a Bengals game.
Donations in Dale’s memory may be made to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (http://hdsa.org) While there is currently no cure for Huntington’s, the family hopes that by raising awareness and donations, a cure may one day be discovered.
Donations in Dale’s memory may be made to http://hdsa.org (http://hdsa.org/) While there is currently no cure for Huntington’s, the family hopes that through awareness and donations, a cure may one day be discovered.