50°
Known to friends as simply Bird, the west coast native pursued dance from a young age and attended the Arts and Communications Magnet Academy in Beaverton, Oregon, according to their obituary.
They went on to receive a dance scholarship to study at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington, and earned a bachelor's degree there, loved ones said.
After graduating college, Bird moved across the country to Philadelphia, where friends and family say they thrived in a community of fellow creatives.
Late on Saturday, April 1, the 31-year-old was walking in Center City when they were struck by a car and placed in critical condition, their mother confirmed on Facebook. They succumbed to those injuries the following day, per the obituary.
On a GoFundMe page meant to assist Bird's family handle end-of-life expenses, friends memorialized the 31-year-old as a thoughtful and expressive artist.
"To know Bird, was to know limitless creativity, insightfulness, compassion, and empathy," organizers wrote in a tribute. "They had lived so many iterations of self and passion. Connecting with a multitude of humans on their life's journey; weaving their life into an intricate piece of art."
The GoFundMe, which will pay for airfare for family members as well as memorial services and cremation, outraised its $9,000 goal in under a week to reach over $10,800 as of Saturday, April 15.
"There are no words to describe the hole they are leaving behind, in many of our lives and certainly in all of our hearts," loved ones wrote in memory of the late artist. "The magic that they instilled in their life and those around them, will continue."
Services will be held in Philadelphia and in Beaverton, Oregon, with details to be announced.
Click here for Bird's full obituary, or here to support their memorial fundraiser on GoFundMe.com.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Delaware and receive free news updates.
