Elizabeth Bailey Geyer

Elizabeth Bailey Geyer, age 82 of Temple former longtime resident of Dallas, died Wednesday, December 6, 2017 in a local care center.  Services will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday, December 13th at First United Methodist Church with Dr. Tom Robbins officiating.  Burial will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.  Visitation will be 5:00 – 7:00 PM Tuesday at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home. Mrs. Geyer was born in Temple on March 21, 1935 in Temple to Edwin A. Bailey Sr. and Edna Marie Albrecht Bailey. She attended Temple schools and graduated class of 1953 Temple High School.  Even as a young girl, Elizabeth was an accomplished and gifted pianist and accompanied the Temple High School Band, Chorus and students in individual instrumental music competitions.  She also enjoyed performing for many Temple city organizations and her church.  She advanced her piano study while still in high school at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor under Dr. Walter Gilewicz, a renowned pianist acclaimed throughout the United States and Europe for his piano virtuosity. She continued her music studies at UT Austin and graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree with a Piano Pedagogy.  She completed her formal education with a Master’s Degree in Music at UT Austin. Elizabeth returned to Temple and became the Minister of Music at the First United Methodist Church.  She continued to be active in the community as a member of the Temple Music Club, the Chorister Guild, Vice President of Temple Community Concert Assn. and pianist for the Temple Civic Orchestra and Community Chorus. She was married in 1961 to Walter L. Geyer, Jr. of San Antonio. They continued to live in Temple until the late 1960’s when they relocated to El Paso as Walter accepted the assistant Director of the UTEP Band position. They moved to Dallas in the early 1970’s where Elizabeth was active with Sigma Alpha Iota, her professional sorority, in Dallas – advocating and promoting careers in music and the arts.  It was clear to all that knew her that her talent was a God given gift which she cherished and shared with all who knew and loved her and those who had an opportunity to hear her play.  Life’s JOY for her was surely her music. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter L. Geyer Jr., her parents and numerous aunt, uncles and cousins.  Survivors include her brother, Edwin A. Bailey, Jr. and wife, Vicki, nephew, Edwin A. Bailey, III, nieces, Brittany Bailey Renner, Nancy Shanahan, Marilyn Chappell, Susan Hall and Barbara Johnson and cousins, Tina Smith, Carol Brown and Francis Anne Franz. Memorial donations may be made to First United Methodist Church Music Dept.