Obituary of Joseph W. Bailey

January 25, 1940 – November 26, 2023

 

Services are set for Monday, December 4, 2023, to remember the life of Joseph W. Bailey, 83, of Pensacola, Florida. Mr. Bailey died November 26, 2023, in Covenant Hospice Care after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Visitation for Mr. Bailey will begin at 10:30 am at St. Luke United Methodist Church, 1394 East Nine Mile Road, Pensacola, FL 32514, followed immediately by a life celebration at 11 am, with the Rev. Dana Brady officiating.

Joe was born in Pine Level (Coffee County), Alabama, on January 25, 1940, the eldest of three children, to Joseph Leon Bailey and Syble Messick Bailey Glenn. He grew up in New Brockton, Alabama, and graduated from New Brockton High School. Early in his career he worked for Dorsey Trailer, in Elba, Alabama. Joe enlisted in the U.S. Army reserves in 1957, at age 17.

He married his first wife, Nan Wilson, and together they had three sons: Joseph Michael Bailey, Ronald David Bailey, and Scott Wilson Bailey. He attended Troy State University in Troy, Alabama, and received his B.A. degree in history.  

In 1969, Joe accepted an active duty assignment in the U.S. Army and served for the next 20 years around the world. His assignments included station posts in Korea, El Paso, Texas, Pforzheim, Germany, the Pentagon, Saudi Arabia, Hurlburt Field in Mary Esther, Florida, and in Stuttgart, Germany. He was also sent to Leavenworth, Kansas for Command and General Staff College.

Of all his various assignments, one that was particularly special to him was as part of a small group within the artillery branch known as the Air Defense Artillery. In this location, he oversaw troops that were responsible for Nuclear Missile sites, at the time involved in ground floor development of air defense equipment and strategies used today in the Middle East.

Joe married his second wife, Julie Hodges on December 24, 1985, and they shared 38 years as a devoted couple who, together, took a struggling flower shop and built it up to be the second-largest flower shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, by the time they sold it. In his Army service, Joe attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and received the Legion of Merit award while on active duty. Following 20 years of service, he retired in 1989.  

While in Knoxville, Joe was active in the Kiwanis Club, serving as President for 3 years. He was awarded the George F. Hixon award, which recognizes those who have contributed significantly to Kiwanis’ history of generosity.

They relocated to Rome, Georgia, as Julie accepted a career position with Zartic Foods, a national company that developed pureed meats and vegetables for senior caregiving. Joe was recruited to come and fix a problem in their production line, so his retirement was short-lived. Of all the things Joe and Julie did together, travel reigned supreme. When football was in season, Joe never failed to enthusiastically support his favorite University of Alabama sports teams, offering frequent cheers of “Roll Tide!”

When the fish came calling, Joe loved driving their 40’ recreational vehicle around the countryside, even after losing one eye that suffered a detached retina! They enjoyed entertaining guests, and they cooked as a couple, and made everyone feel at home wherever they lived.

Joe loved reading, history, and flying flight simulators when he could. A venerable storyteller, Joe had a way of engaging others in grand conversations and was considered a skilled raconteur and perfect host. Church life was a great part of Joe and Julie’s activities together, and they enjoyed worshiping together at St. Luke UMC, their church home for the past several years. Julie and Joe were devoted to each other, their families, and the Lord.

A kind, gentle, and generous man, Joe Bailey always put others before himself. In his plans, he donated his brain tissue to the State of Florida Brain Bank for the study of Alzheimer’s and dementia.   

Joe is survived by his wife of 38 years, Dr. Julie Hodges Bailey, of Pensacola, FL; son, Mike Bailey (Carla) of New Hope, AL and granddaughter Claire Bailey Lambert (Brock) and great grandson Briggs Lambert of Elba, AL; son, Dave Bailey (Nelda) of New Hope, AL, and granddaughter, Whitney Bailey and great-grandson Kristian Prettyman of Louisville, AL; granddaughter, Ashley Bailey Chappell (Kendall), and great-grandsons, David Ray Chappell and  Daniel Raif Chappell of Enterprise, AL; son, Scott Wilson Bailey (Melissa) of Dauphin Island, AL; grandson, Bryant Bailey (Hillary) and their children Ellie Carolyn Bailey, James Wilson Bailey, and Evelynn Saage Bailey, of Wichita, KS; grandson, Zack Bailey (Sofia) and their children, Scott Thomas Bailey and Kara Rose Bailey, all of Grand Bay, AL. In addition, Joe is survived by sisters Rosemary Bailey Carnley (Sam) of Birmingham, AL and Judy Bailey Wise (Larry) of Dothan, AL, and their families.

 

 

 

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