Bird was born in Barnsley and played club cricket with legendary England batter Sir Geoffrey Boycott and journalist and TV host Sir Michael Parkinson, with whom he remained close friends.
Boycott said Bird was “loved by so many and became a legend”.
Bird, whose real name was Harold, began his playing career at Yorkshire before moving to Leicestershire.
A right-handed batter, he scored two centuries and averaged 20.71 in 93 first-class matches.
But he will be remembered for his career as an umpire, and at one stage his 66 Tests were a record.
He oversaw a number of unusual moments too – a bomb scare at Lord’s when he sat on the covers, a burst water pipe at Headingley, and taking the players from the field because the sun was reflecting off a window into the eyes of the batter.
Before his final Test in 1996 Bird was given a guard of honour on the outfield at Lord’s by the England and India players.
He also umpired charity matches for Queen Elizabeth II, whom he said he met 29 times.
He stood in his last official match in 1998 – a game between Yorkshire and Warwickshire at Headingley, where he remained a regular visitor.
“The thoughts of everyone at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club are with Dickie’s family and friends during this time,” Yorkshire said.
“He will be truly missed by all at the club, having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here, and will be remembered as one the greatest characters in Yorkshire’s history.”
