Valerie Ann Bird, MTA
(December 8, 1951-July 6, 2025)
Our community lost one of our valued members on July 6. Valerie Bird died at Fairhaven United Church home, surrounded by her loving daughter Christy, son Michael and his wife Susan, grandchildren Evan and Alaina. Many other friends had been visiting Valerie regularly in the months and years prior. Valerie had developed a disease over the past 11 years called Corticobasal Syndrome, a rare progressive brain disorder that primarily affects movement but also caused problems with thinking and speech. Valerie retained her cognitive abilities till the end. She had started to decline more rapidly over the past months, making it difficult for her to talk but she was still able to laugh, smile and sing.
Valerie grew up in Squamish with siblings, Brenda, Cheryl and Roger. She was extremely close to her mother. She graduated with a Bachelor of Education from UBC and taught physical education and French at West Vancouver Secondary. Valerie graduated from Capilano University in 2009 with her BMT and worked for several years in long-term care sites, including Providence Health Care and Royal Arch. Valerie completed the two-year Vocal Psychotherapy training with Dr Diane Austin, culminating in a trip to Greece with many of us in 2012.
Valerie was a songwriter, loved singing, and was interested in exploring singing as a healing force. She often commented that she was the “conduit or vehicle” for her songs. She founded the Intuitive a Capella Singers with Karin Roberts, LaRee Mohr, Susan Summers, and Shannon Ingersoll with whom she sang and chanted for 10 years until a year before her death. Even though she could no longer actively and audibly sing, her lips mouthed the words of her songs two days before her passing.
Valerie’s song, When we meet in the music, was chosen as the 2014 CAMT conference theme and was shared by delegates at the opening of the conference.
Valerie will be remembered as an empathic and sensitive person who loved to laugh, who was a natural harmonizer having perfect pitch, and who was committed to learning, growing in self-awareness, and healing. She engaged in continual healing and therapeutic practices such as tapping, grounding, spiritual cards, and meditation throughout her life. Valerie was honest, kind, open and accepting of everyone. She loved and deeply valued her family and friends.
To share your memories, photos and tributes, please go to Remembering Valerie https://valeriebird.ca/ or join the Facebook group. Her obituary can be found here.
-By Susan Summers, PhD, MTA
