John C. Bird, age 57 of Chesterland, formerly of Willowick, passed away October 14, 2021 at home with his daughter and wife by his side. He was born August 19, 1964 in Anchorage, Alaska to the late Arlene and Richard Bird.
John loved his family with all his heart. He enjoyed weekend trips with his wife Heather and spending time with his children and twin brother and best friend, Jeff. He loved motorcycles, cars and had an amazing memory for music. He loved his job as an engineer technician at Vitamix.
John is the loving husband of Heather Mazurik Bird; dearest father of Shaun Bird and Jamie (Austin) Bird; stepfather of Anna (Billy) Hogrefe; twin brother of Jeffrey (Helen) Bird; brother of Theresa (Brad) Ferdinando and the late Mark Bird; nephew of Russ (Nancy) Bird; cousin of Chris (Julie) Bird and the late Todd Bird; uncle of many; son in law of Ron Mazurik Sr.
The Bird family will receive friends from 4:00-7:30 PM Wednesday, October 20th, 2021 at The Abbey, 38011 Euclid Ave., Willoughby (located on the grounds of McMahon Coyne Vitantonio Funeral Home). Celebration of Life Service at 7:00 PM Wednesday at The Abbey. Private burial at Mentor Cemetery at a later date.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Jeff Monreal of Jeff Monreal Funeral Home.
Reader interactions
20 Replies to “John C. Bird”
I have so many fond childhood school classmate memories of both John and Jeff. John was always so sweet and a blessing to have known. May you Angel Wings in Heaven take you on your next journey but thank you for leaving a piece of you in the hearts of so many. RIP FRIEND.❤️❤️
John is a great man, R.I.P. I’ve known him since we were little kids. Camping with our families, Euclid campers Club. Great time we’re had in those days. My condolences to his family. John will be missed by many.
Much Love, you are now with you father in heaven and with God. Peace be with you, Amen
RIP. It was great playing soccer with you and your brother!
My prayers and sympathy to the family. So saddened to hear of this. I worked with John many years at Swagelok. A good light has left this world.
Our deepest sympathies to Heather and you his family.
John will be deeply missed though we only knew him for a short time we had the pleasure of sharing some memories , the good times the laughter will always be remembered . Rest In Peace my friend.
Dear Heather,
Sincerest and heartfelt condolences to you and your family. Sending prayers for strength during this sad time.
All of our thoughts will be with John and family this week. John was an amazing guy who truly was a mechanical artist. And a genuinely super good human being. John, you will be missed but never forgotten. Peace and grace to all of you.
Ben
I’m speechless, my deepest condolences to the family. How short life is I’m so sorry for the loss of this beautiful soul. Jeff will missed greatly.
I’m very sad to learn of John’s passing. We knew each other from our involvement with the Super Magna Owners Group and met up several times at motorcycle meets over the last 20 years. IMO, John had the finest taste in customizing a super magna of anyone I knew. His bike has always been my favorite. I will miss not seeing him in the future and express my sincere condolences to his family.
Can’t imagine life without you John. You’ve been a brother to me for 14 years. Some of the best times of my life were with you and Jeff.
My Brother, my best friend, I don’t know a life without you. Any project, any decision, large or small you were my consultant and or a helping hand. I will always remembering all the good times, the rough times, and the many miles we have ridden together. I love you, I miss you, and I will think of you every day. Godspeed brother, until we meet again.
Deepest condolences. Keeping your family and friends in our prayers.
Dear Heather, We send you our deepest sympathy in the passing of your husband.
We are your mom’s aunt & cousin.
Aunt Joni & Sherry
The Super Magna Owner’s Group is an anomaly in today’s world – a group of strangers who became close friends, cohorts & confidants as a result of a common love for a very unique motorcycle.
The 1987 & 1988 Honda Magna, dubbed the “Super Magna”, was a motorcycle that “flopped” during the two years it was produced. In spite of this, a small group of owners recognized the Super Magna for it’s forward styling, exceptional performance and high quality design. That group, dubbed the “Super Magna Owner’s Group”, saw something in the Super Magna that would not be recognized by the mainstream motorcycle world until years later. John was one of those owners. His love of motorcycles and the Super Magna lead to his becoming one of a handful of founding members of our group.
Our group began as in internet discussion forum where owners shared stories, common issues and unique modifications that we made to our motorcycles.
Over time, our group grew to be so much more than a web-based fan club. We grew to know each other from our messages, posts and shared knowledge of our motorcycles. We helped each other, teased each other and laughed together, all while developing a knowledge base and collective that knew more about the Super Magna than mechanics, critics and probably even the designers.
Our common bound led to a desire to create an owner’s “meet” where we could meet each other, show off our motorcycles and share our common experiences. The annual “Meet” became an event to plan for & look forward to… members rode their “Supers” hundreds of miles to attend. The “Meet” was where John shined. He was quiet & knowledgeable, yet he left a lasting impression on each and every one of us.
John’s love of his Super Magna lead to him making modifications that inspired our entire group. He painted his Super yellow. The color change was drastic and not something that most members would have tried. The color ended up being beautiful – winning John the “Best Modification” award at one of the early Meets. John changed his handle bars (not an easy task on the Super Magna) and documented the entire process to share with the group. He did the same documentation when he tackled the biggest problem and worst fear of Super owners – the dreaded “2nd gear failure”.
Throughout the years, we all grew to know and love John as a kind, considerate and compassionate person. Without doubt, each member of the group could share personal memories shared with John. Over the years, I personally spent hours on the phone with John discussing our motorcycles & planning “next years” meet. I enjoyed countless conversations with John about motorcycles, life and the future. My personal favorite memory with John comes from our meet in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. On my way home, I got a text message from John. He knew our path’s home were similar and asked me if I wanted to meet somewhere for lunch. I’ll never forget that lunch. I couldn’t tell you where or what we ate, but I can tell you that the camaraderie and friendship I felt from that lunch was one of those rare moments in life that impact us forever.
Since learning of John’s passing, our group has once again come together. This time not to discuss our motorcycles, but to share with each other the incredible impact John had on each and every one of our lives. John was an incredible friend and his passing leaves a hole in our hearts and in the world that can never be filled.
As a group, our condolences go out to John’s entire family. Please know that we are all praying for you and for John.
Godspeed John Bird…
Wendi and I are very fortunate to have been a part of John’s life. We spent several years meeting up to ride motorcycles. John was a guy that always made you feel welcome. He was passionate about his bikes and it clearly showed. At the meets, he was our go-to guy to ride with. Either we followed him or he followed us. There was the smaller group in the meet that liked to push it and ride fast. Known for staying up late, being obnoxious, enjoying the brews and somehow managing to make the the next day’s ride. John was always right in the middle of it. I looked up to him and respected his opinions. I won’t be able to ride again without thinking fondly of the many miles we shared.
Heather- our hearts are breaking for you and Anna, along with John’s family, friends, and coworkers. Our deepest sympathy to all of you. May he rest in peace.
Sending condolences and prayers to the family during this very difficult time.
A beautiful memorial for a beautiful man – Rest my friend – and thank you for all the wonderful times!!
Many memories of John and our Soccer days at North High. My sincere condolences to all who knew him.
I’ve learned late of John’s passing. My heart goes out to anyone missing him. He was sincerely the nicest human being and a great guy.
Thank you for submitting your comment. Your comment will be reviewed in the next 24 - 48 hours. Once approved, it will be added to the condolences below the obituary.