Troy Bailey

Troy Bailey, age 80, passed from this life to be with his Heavenly Father on Saturday, July 19, 2014 after a lengthy illness. A service honoring his life will be conducted on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 2:00 pm at Wylie Baptist Church.

Troy was born near May, Texas on September 28, 1933 to Weldon and Elma Bailey. He graduated from Rising Star High School and attended Draughn’s Business College. He married his sweetheart Nelda Guthrie in Brownwood on April 5, 1953, and they enjoyed 61 years of marriage.

Inducted into the Army on May 18, 1954, Troy served two years at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Because of his typing and bookkeeping skills, he was a Clerk Typist during the Korean War. Honorably discharged two years later he and Nelda moved to Abilene, where he attended several years at McMurry College studying business. Later he owned and managed Mystic Ozark bottled water business, and his family still owns and manages Bailey Soft Water. Troy loved sports, especially water skiing, and family vacations.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and one brother, Burl Bailey.

Survivors include his wife, Nelda Bailey of Abilene; one daughter, Sherry and her husband Patrick Tarrant of Flint, TX; one son, Rick and his wife, Celeste Bailey of Mobile, AL; five grandchildren Sabrina Tarrant Smith and her husband Chance of Kaufman, TX; Kimberly Tarrant Callaway and her husband Lyle of Athens, TX; Clayton Bailey of Mobile, AL; Kati Tarrant of Austin, TX; and Wes Bailey of Hattiesburg, MS. He had three great grandchildren, Blain and Bailey Smith of Kaufman, and Tucker Callaway of Athens.

The family would like to express their appreciation to all the doctors, nurses and staff in Hendricks Hospital and Wisteria Place Nursing Facility. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to a church or charity of your choice.