Shirley Litchfield-Bird

Shirley Litchfield-Bird, 97, of Bartlett, died Monday, May 4, 2020. She was born August 21, 1922 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Shirley loved to sing and devoted her life to music, especially opera. She began her music career early in life in her home town of Omaha, Nebraska with her two sisters, performing as a trio for radio and music venues. She obtained her Bachelor degree at the Chicago Conservatory of Music in 1951 and thereafter her Masters in Music from the American Conservatory of Music. While she loved all music, opera was her passion. She was President of the Barrington Lyric Opera Assn and later the Arizona Opera Assn. She also was the Music Director at Immanuel United Church of Christ in Bartlett for many years.
Shirley was also passionate about horses. She and her late husband George began Sunset Hill Farm in Bartlett in 1956 and were active in the show circuit between 1957 and 1970, winning several national and local championships. She continued to operate Sunset Hill Farm until recent years.
A woman of many interests, she was big into tennis and won an Omaha tennis tournament in her early years. She competed in many club tournaments at the South Barrington Club in Barrington, Illinois and in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was a fashion designer for Designs by Annabel, a business she started to promote her dress designs. She also became a licensed real estate agent and served as President of the Bartlett Women’s Club. To top it all off, she joined the Lions Club in Bartlett at the age of 91.
Shirley is the beloved wife of the late George Litchfield and late William Bird; loving mother of Stephen (Carrie Bixby) Litchfield and Georgette (Russ Gach) Litchfield; cherished gran of Andrew, Courtney, Stephanie, Eric, Daryl (Abby); proud great gran of Kaylynn, Daisey, Elizabeth, Ruby and Naomi; dear sister of the late Eugene (the late Amy) Brown, the late Maxine Brown, the late Gwendoline "Penny" (the late Glen) Wickham.
Due to Covid restrictions, a walk-up visitation for Shirley Litchfield-Bird of Bartlett will be held Saturday, May 9, 2020 for one hour starting at 11:00a.m. at the Countryside Funeral Home and Crematory 950 South Bartlett (at Stearns Rd.) Bartlett. Services will be held privately. Following services, cremation will also be private at the Countryside Crematory.
In lieu of flowers, donations to either the Lyric Opera of Chicago at lyricopera.org/support/donate/, or the Immanuel United Church of Christ at Bartlettiucc.org. would be appreciated.