Reverend Robert Alan Birr

MYERS, BIRR

Posted By: Michael Lensing (email)
Date: 10/28/2008 at 06:46:40

Reverend R. Alan Birr, 54, of 230 Stanwyck Drive in Iowa City , died Friday, October 24, 2008 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City following a long illness.
Alan chose to be cremated. His family will greet friends Tuesday from 9:30 am – 11:00 am at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City . A Celebration of Life will then be held at 11:00 am with Pastor Sam Massey officiating. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Huntington’s Disease Research, The American Diabetes Association or The American Heart Association.
Alan was born November 20, 1953 in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Robert and Martha (Myers) Birr. He graduated from Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids in 1972 and later earned his B.A. degree from Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa. In 1977, Alan earned his Master of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary from Northwestern University in Chicago.
Alan married Rebecca Cunningham-Birdsong on December 27, 1987 in Pulaski, Iowa.
He served as pastor at various churches, including United Methodist churches in Elgin, Illinois, Eugene, Oregon and Pulaski, Iowa. He also served at American Baptist Churches in Jordan’s Grove, Iowa and Anamosa, Iowa.
Alan was a member of Downey Baptist Church near West Branch, Iowa, where he served as pastor until the spring of 2008 when his illness left him unable to continue. Alan also worked for Collective Data in North Liberty, Iowa until the spring of 2008.
Survivors include his wife Becky of Iowa City; son Josh (Alissa) of Cedar Rapids, Daughter’s Kayla and Christie, both of Iowa City; sister, Nancy Wipperman of Nevada, Iowa ; brother-in-law, Dan Reiter of Ft. Madison and father-in-law, Gene Cuningham of Columbia , Missouri.
Alan was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Linda Reiter, and his mother-in-law, Katherine Cunningham.
On-line condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.com