CEO of décor store At Home shares how faith influences his work and what carried him through cancer

Editor’s note: The author of this article, Clairissa Cooper, is the Lewisville Texas Stake assistant communication director and shares a ward with the Bird family. She has a degree in journalism from Brigham Young University. 

Lewis L. (Lee) Bird III wears many hats, juggles a lot of plates, and all of the other proverbial clichés of a successful professional. In fact, he was named Most Admired CEO by the Dallas Business Journal in 2018 for his work as chairman and CEO of Plano-based home décor retailer At Home, which currently operates 225 stores in 40 states. Bird is also a man of faith who has learned to trust in God through the loss of a child and a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. And now, he will bring his leadership skills and testimony together in a new role: stake president of the Lewisville Texas Stake. 

In addition to growing a company, he now facilitates the growth of faith, hope, and lasting peace. Instead of revenue being the indicating factor of success, healing individual souls one by one is the focus. In place of happy shareholders, there are strengthened families and ministering to the poor in spirit. 

No Stranger to Adversity

While navigating the treacherous waters of a pandemic, Bird captained At Home to its best year on record. But this isn’t the first time he has had to find a way through adversity. 

He and his wife, Linda, have been married for 34 years and are parents to eight children. In 1991, their third child, Kelsey, passed 13 days after she was born due to complications of a heart defect.  Bird’s voice fills with faith and emotion when he talks about her.

 “Faith is personal to me because I have a daughter who died and went to heaven. Where did she come from? Why was she here, and where is she now? Am I ever going to be with her again? Faith gives me those answers, which gives me hope. It gives me purpose. It gives me perspective, especially when things don’t always work out,” he says. “If I didn’t have those answers, [my life] would be empty. Faith gives [my life] meaning. I lean on my faith to be happy.”

Linda Bird adds, “Although she only stayed for 13 short days here on earth, the impact [Kelsey] made on me has lasted all this time without fading. What a blessing and opportunity it is to be her mother. I know that because of my faith in Jesus Christ and membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I will live with her again as an eternal family sealed in the temple.”

From left to right: Ashley Bird, Ainsley Bird, Lewis Bird, Teagan Bird, Timilie Bird, Linda Bird, Samuel Bird, Lee Bird, Hunter Wilbert, Haley Bird Wilbert, Emily Bird Van Loo, Zack Van Loo, Stevie Cunningham, Wesley Bird Cunningham, Coston Cunningham, Mike Cunningham

Since Kelsey’s passing, the Bird family motto has been “No empty chairs.” The motto motivates them to stay on covenant path so that they can live with Kelsey again. Bird shared his family experience in stake conference and said he wanted that same sentiment to also be the stake motto; there be “no empty chairs” among friends and neighbors in the community. Everyone is loved and welcome at the table of the Lewisville Texas Stake.  His young daughter’s death isn’t the only time Bird has had to lean on his faith.

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