Patrick Bird 1959-2026

Recent Society President, Patrick Bird, finally lost his fight against Parkinson’s Disease and dementia on Sunday 8th March, surrounded by his family.

Patrick was captain of the Oxford sailing team in the early 1980s and then went on to compete with his ladies-BUSA-winning wife, Virginia, in the Laser 2 Class with many Oxford & Cambridge contemporaries. He also served as Chairman of the UK Class Association.

He had a brief foray into Olympic yachting, crewing for Tim Davison in the 470. Tim was often said to be prouder of the fact that they came last in the trials than Patrick!

As a geologist, exploring for oil took him to many countries and continents, including considerable spells in the Philippines, Pakistan and Dubai. During this time, he kept his sailing interests alive with a cruising yacht on the west coast of Scotland, and developed a burgeoning enthusiasm for running.

These interests combined in his numerous entries to the Three Peaks Yacht Race and the Scottish Three Peaks Yacht Race, notably winning the Tillman Trophy in the former in 2010. The running bug also rubbed off on his younger daughter, Lizzie, who twice ran the steeplechase in the Olympics and won a bronze medal at the European Championships.

Patrick cruised extensively, spending a number of seasons in Norway (where he also enjoyed the skiing), culminating in an epic trip to Svalbard, inside the Arctic Circle.

He became President of the Society in 2018 and soon retired from work, moving to Scotland near Oban. He was the "COVID-President," and this, combined with a bicycle accident and his eventual diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2021, meant he was not as active in the role as he likely would have wished.

He and Virginia were eventually forced to sell their yacht, which they could no longer manage alone, but they continued to cruise in chartered boats with friends as long as Patrick was able. He last went to sea in a yacht this past September, though his rapid deterioration made it a significant challenge.

Patrick was looked after brilliantly by Virginia and many sailing friends. Oxford contemporary and Society member Chris Foster and his wife supported Patrick in his penultimate week, providing Virginia with a much-needed break. She returned just before Patrick was admitted to hospital for his final days.