Death of David Bird in Long Hill ruled a drowning

The death of David C. Bird, the Long Hill Township husband, father and journalist who was missing for 14 months, has been ruled an accidental drowning by a fall into the Passaic River.

“We’re thankful he was found but the reality and the finality of that is hard to deal with,” widow Nancy Bird said Tuesday in a phone interview.

“He was a lovely guy, an inspiration to many and he’s dearly missed. We’re grieving but in a way we can deal with,” she said.

Bird, who underwent a liver transplant in 2004, told his wife on the afternoon of Jan. 11, 2014, that he wanted to take a walk as he frequently did and often with her. The 55-year-old Bird, who was recovering from a gastrointestinal virus, never came home and his disappearance led to a massive search that ended when his remains were found around 5 p.m. on March 18 in the Passaic River.

The discovery occurred when two men canoeing on the river in the vicinity of King George Road spotted a red jacket near some branches. They notified authorities and a multi-agency investigation ensued, resulting in a positive identification of David Bird through dental records.

Morris County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Carlos Fonseca, who conducted an autopsy, initially listed the cause and manner of death as “pending studies” on Bird’s death certificate. The death certificate was later amended to reflect a conclusion that Bird drowned after a fall into the Passaic River, and that the manner of death was an accident.

Nancy Bird said she believes her husband was scrambling to return home from his walk as a storm set in and lost his footing on the banks of the river.

“It’s a piece of the puzzle we will never know,” she said.

The death certificate was filed with Bird’s last will and testament with the Morris County Surrogate’s Office. Bird refers lovingly to his family in the will that made special bequests to his teenage children, Natasha, now 14, and Alexander, now 17.

“To my beloved daughter, Natasha Willow Bird, I give the original Lennon lithograph ‘Bird Bath.’ To my beloved son, Alexander Joseph Bird, I give the original Rodrigue lithograph “Blue Dog,” Bird’s will said.

Nancy Bird said the Long Hill Township community and police department “wrapped us in love,” making the quest to find her husband and then deal with his death slightly more bearable. She married her husband in 1991.

“Our community has been amazing. We’re incredibly blessed to be in this community. It’s not the outcome we hoped for but the community wrapped us in love,” she said.

Police have said Bird’s remains were found about 20 feet from the shoreline in water approximately seven feet deep.

David Bird was a reporter for Dow Jones & Co., and after his 2004 transplant the family became advocates for organ and tissue donations. Bird became a fitness enthusiast through walking, running, bicycling and hiking.

On a website that Nancy Bird started in hopes of finding David, she had written: "David is a gentle soul, an intellectual, a daydreamer, a quick wit, a talented writer, a determined athlete, a lover of nature, a man who loves life. As a liver transplant recipient, David is proof that organ donation saves lives and families and he has cherished both everyday since his transplant 10 years ago."

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.