Funeral services for Gary Allen Little Bird Jr., 46 of Little Eagle, SD will be held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the Elkhorn Congregational Church in Little Eagle at 1:00 pm. A prayer service at the church will be held on Monday, August 4, 2025, at 7:00 pm. The family will follow to the church on Monday at 3:00 pm from Kesling Funeral Home, Mobridge, SD. Interment under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home will take place at the Elkhorn Congregational Cemetery in Little Eagle.

Gary (Gator) Allen Little Bird, Jr., Zintkala Cikala, was born March 31, 1979, in Ft. Yates, North Dakota to Gary Allen Little Bird, Sr. and Priscilla O. Little Dog Greenleaf.

Gary "Gator" lived with his mother in Little Eagle from a young boy and at the age of 9, him and his family moved to Minneapolis, MN. There, he attended Laura Ingalls Wilder School and Monroe Elementary School until he was a 4th grader. He attended Pierre area Indian Learning Center until he turned 15 years old when he entered the Job Corps of America at the Job Corps of Box Elder, South Dakota. At the age of 20, Gary earned various certificates and degrees and became a jack of all trades as far as building and road construction. Gary continued onto learning new skills in auto mechanics that he inherited from family and relatives and using his knowledge to help others. He would always say it takes a lot of patience and common sense to work on vehicles, you've got to know what you're doing.

Through his life, he was gifted with five sons and loves them all. His sons are, Elliot Levi Bearsheart, Jonathan Gary Little Bird, Gary Allen "Yamni" Little Bird, Hoksila Ambrose Little Bird and Ayden Clark St. Pierre.

Gator's life journey also took him on the Bigfoot rides back to Wounded Knee, South Dakota which he did for four years with his uncle, Bryan Swift Cloud. Sometimes during the Chief's Ride began again so his big bro, Nate and family participated and felt that was a good feeling and remembered of his great, great grandparents and then three years later, his health took a turn, and the disease of diabetes slowly started to slow him down. He practiced his spirituality and traditional ways by giving thanks to Mother Earth and Our Creator.

Gator's life journey included being friendly and building relationships with friends that became Hunka brothers and sisters. Hunka brothers Mark LeCompte and Kyle Boysen and Hunka Sister Morgan Ward who he met and became good friends with and later became his.

He is survived by his mother and stepfather Gary and Priscilla Greenleaf of Little Eagle SD, siblings Nathan Little Dog and children, Little Eagle SD, Brianne Little Bird and children, Mobridge SD, Kimo Little Bird and children, Texas and Monty Greenleaf of Rapid City SD, his boys Elliot Bears heart, Jonathan Little Bird, Gary Little Bird III, Hoksila Little Bird, and Aiden St. Pierre, and his very special niece whom he help raise Star See Walker and 2 grandsons Chaske See Walker & Jeriko White Bird/Iron Rope.

Gary is preceded in death by his father, Gary Little Bird, Sr on February 23, 2017, Paternal Grandparents, Gerald Steaked Eye Little Bird and Florence Fool Bear Little Bird. Aunties, Gerude Fool Bear, Lois Little Bird, Jan Little Bird, Uncles, Gerald R. Little Bird, Jr., Barney Little Bird, Tator Fool Bear and Carl Little Bird. On his maternal side, Miles Little Dog and Sybil Little Dog Archambault, aunt, Leta Ann Little Dog, Dusty Little Dog, uncles Walter John Little Dog Sr., Jason Little Dog, Corey Alex Flying Bye, Sr. and Pierce Little Dog.