Ginger Aiken Bird, BHS '64 (1946-2022)

Virginia "Ginger" Jean Aiken Bird 

November 22, 1946 – April 29, 2022 

Virginia “Ginger” Jean Aikin Bird passed away into the arms of her savior Jesus Christ on Friday April 29, 2022. She now has a new body, feels no pain or sorrow and is walking with Jesus in Heaven, a beautiful place we cannot even fathom, but only long to be someday ourselves. 

Ginger was born in Los Angeles, California on Nov. 22, 1946 to Mary Elizabeth Kerr Aikin and Wilbur Jamison Aikin. She is survived by her two loving sisters Patricia Watters with husband Gary Watters in Pennsylvania/South Carolina and Carole Hutcheson with husband Dean in Kansas. 

Ginger enjoyed a loving Christian family upbringing in the 1940’s-1970’s Southern California and graduated from Burbank High School in Burbank, California. She loved spending time with her youth group and sisters at the Los Angeles Reformed Presbyterian Church with many spring breaks spent together as a group at Doheny State Beach Campground. Her cousins Kathy & Bob Termer were also a huge part of her growing up years in Burbank sharing many fond memories together. 

Kathy and Bob with their spouses and children today held a very special place in Ginger’s heart. Ginger was married to Peter Taylor Werbel in 1965. Ginger & Pete had their one and only child, Kimberly Patricia, in March 1966. After a short time, Ginger and Peter divorced and Ginger went on with her life solely caring for her daughter. Ginger graduated with a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Kansas at Lawrence. She was a public educator for 31 years teaching her first year on the Hoopa Indian Reservation in Northern California. Ginger then taught at the Northeast Kansas Area Vocational-Technical School in Atchison, Kansas for five years where she thoroughly enjoyed working with the youth choosing their new professions. 

Ginger bought her first very quaint home where she gardened several vegetables, handcrafted taper candles and macramé plant hangers as a hobby. She then took a position writing grants for Special Education programs and coordinating with several area schools in Hastings, Nebraska. In Hastings she purchased her second little Midwest style home and proceeded to grow zucchini and a variety of Crocus, Lilies and other flowers and maintain her rather large corner lot with hand clippers for the lawn edging at the side walk! Ginger and Kimberly’s home had a semi-finished basement which she rented to two different girls who attended Hastings College. She also repainted her entire exterior of her home on Ringland Rd. in Hastings. 

Ginger’s church home was the First Presbyterian Church where her daughter enjoyed a very active youth group. She was an avid reader going to the library weekly. Ginger also became a runner while living in Hastings and accomplished many 5 & 10K races throughout Nebraska. She embraced her life even while doing life as a single parent and always had her faith in Jesus Christ to lean on. Once Ginger’s daughter, Kimberly, graduated from high school in Hastings, Nebraska in 1984 and joined the US Air Force, Ginger returned to Southern California where she took a position teaching Special Education at Glendale High School. Her career at Glendale High over the next 18 years included teaching English as a Second Language and American History all of which she had a strong passion for educating the students. Ginger truly loved being amongst her students and the young at heart. Ginger also loved traveling. Over her lifetime she has driven coast to coast several times visiting her sisters and parents, journeyed throughout the United States enjoying church conferences in Minnesota, Yosemite National Park, Washington DC, and many other places. She made nine trips to Europe where her daughter and son-in-law were stationed. Many of her journeys included Holland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and East Berlin prior to the wall coming down. 

Ginger had a love for living in Southern California with the year-round green grass and flowers, the ocean and Hollywood nearby. She enjoyed the years of being near her father and mother sharing many memories which sat deep in her heart. Her church home was Los Angeles Reformed Presbyterian Church. Ginger also had a great love for dogs and had one practically all her life. Her latest loyal friend, Rosie, resides with a sweet mother and daughter in the 55+ community she moved to just in April 2022 in Colorado Springs. Ginger took Rosie with her to her new apartment home and would be glad Rosie has a sweet home there now with many residents who adore her and she even has her own little dog park she shares with just a few other small dogs. 

In 2008 Ginger moved to Warner Robins, GA. to be near her daughter, son-in-law, grandson and granddaughter. Ginger became a member of the Houston Lake Presbyterian Church in Kathleen and treasured her time spent serving, worshiping and fellowshipping with her brothers and sisters in Christ at her church home. She bought a lovely smaller home in Warner Robins and enjoyed her flower gardening in her lovely yard and gorgeous houseplants all for which she truly had a green thumb. She so enjoyed her sweet neighbors of Lasso Drive and carried those friendships with her as she left Warner Robins just recently to move to Colorado Springs where her daughter and son-in-law were relocating. 

Ginger is survived by three nieces Melissa, Amiee and Sarah and two nephews Joe and Zack along with their families whom she adored and cherished following on social media and family visits throughout the years. Ginger’s sisters and their husbands Gary and Dean were so near and dear to her heart with numerous years of endeared memories shared. Family was a strong hold for Ginger and comfort that all will be in Heaven together one day. Ginger’s daughter Kimberly and son-in-law Bob along with her two grandchildren Timothy & Megan were her life and love. Ginger’s grandson Timothy and his wife Kaitlin having their first child Eliana, her fourth great grandchild, just one day after Ginger’s passing was a prayer she prayed continually over these past years. We truly believe their sweet souls knew each other in Heaven. Ginger’s granddaughter Megan and her husband Patrick have three great grandchildren for whom she enjoyed the past five years so loving Brooks, Alethia and Kimber. The joy of her grandchildren and great grandchildren filled Ginger so sweetly. Ginger was genuinely so proud of her two grandchildren Timothy & wife Kaitlin and Megan & husband Patrick for whom she felt were all her grandchildren the same. She honored the Christian marriages of her grandchildren and had a sincere admiration for their marriages. She loved them and the great grandchildren they had more than life here itself. 

A funeral service for Virginia will be held Wednesday, May 25, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Rose Hills Memorial Park - Hillside Chapel, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601. Virginia will be laid to rest in Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601; Garden of Affection; Gate: 1, Section: 22, Lot: 6706, Grave: 3. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.rosehills.com for the Bird family. In Lieu of flowers please consider donating any amount to Samaritan Purse Operation Christmas Child as this organization was a passion of Virginia's. Please use the following link for a memorial gift under Virginia Bird. https://sampur.se/3yFI4m9