Lena Ann Bailey

August 14, 1938 – January 5, 2026

Lena Ann Fitzgerald Bailey, who went by Ann, was born an artist, and artistry lived in every part of her DNA. Even after she no longer painted, she continued to see the world through a creative lens—in sunsets, shadows across the ground, and the movement of trees. Beauty inspired her, and that inspiration shaped the way she lived, taught, and loved.

She believed deeply in talent and responsibility, often sharing her personal motto:

My talent is a gift.

My right is to enjoy it.

My responsibility is to develop it.

My desire is to share it.

My goal is to say thank you to Him who gave it.

Ann lived that philosophy daily. She was a devoted do-it-yourselfer: sewing clothes for herself and her children, designing a mosaic tile table, turning colorful bed sheets into curtains, antiquing kitchen cabinets, and transforming her home with imagination and care. She never instructed with words—she simply did, and in doing so taught others how to be independent, inventive, and unafraid to try.

Her creative influence reached beyond the home. When her daughter Sandé began writing poetry and learning guitar in seventh grade, Ann suggested turning poems into songs—a small encouragement that became a lifelong path. She nurtured curiosity, expression, and confidence in the people around her.

Ann brought humor and surprise into everyday life. She was irreverent, animated, and wonderfully vivacious. Whether working on her art, projects, camping, hiking, sharing wine, or delivering one of her playful, theatrical lines, she carried joy, mischief, and warmth wherever she went.

In later years, as dementia slowly took hold, Ann’s spirit remained present in laughter, music, and companionship. She continued to attend performances and open mics with Sandé, quickly becoming part of the creative community that embraced her as one of their own. Those years offered extra time together—filled with singing, silliness, and deep affection.

Most of all, Ann grew into a woman who expressed her pride freely. Where life once demanded perfection, later years brought gentleness and understanding. She made sure her love was known.

Ann is survived by her daughter, Sandé Lollis; her granddaughters, Lena Erin Cerutti and Susan Elaine Frazee; her grandson, Stephen Max Spiker; and a multitude of great-grandchildren, step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Lorrie Ann Dachke, and her husband, Billy Ray Bailey.

Lena Ann Fitzgerald Bailey leaves behind a legacy of creativity, independence, humor, and love—and a reminder that artistry is not only something we make, but something we live.