Connie Lou Bailey

Connie was born on September 21, 1947 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of George Wilfred Runberg and Marian Lucille (Lundstrom) Runberg. She graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 1965 and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University (Sophie Newcomb) in 1969 and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Northwestern University in 1971.

Connie taught English at Spring Woods High School in Houston and then James E. Taylor High School in Katy, Texas for many years. She touched the lives of countless students with her kindness as a teacher, dry wit, and love of literature, quoting Shakespeare from memory and reciting Beowulf in Old English.

On July 9, 1976, she married her husband of forty-one years, Michael Bailey.

Connie gave all her children a lifelong love of books and stories. She was an avid traveler from her time studying abroad in college through her sixties. She was also a lover of opera, musicals, and ballet; and a gardener. Above all, she was someone who saw beauty everywhere and made others see it too.

Connie is survived by her children, Colin, Derek, and Brooke Bailey of Houston, TX, and Melissa Bailey Kutner of Rockville, MD; nine grandchildren, Michael, Lionel, Drew, Victoria, Brandon, Brynn, Austin, Mason, Landon; and sister Janice Christofferson.

She was preceded in death by her parents and by her husband Michael.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 15, at 2 pm at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home and Chapel, with a reception and burial to follow.

As a tribute to her passion for arts and educational programming of all kinds, donations in Connie’s honor can be made to the PBS Foundation.

Link for donations: https://supportpbsfoundation.pbs.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20120b?df_id=1520&1520.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&NONCE_TOKEN=7EBD35649053C43A177B93A5314B5B94

A funeral service will be held at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, located at 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas, in the Pecan Venue. The service is scheduled for March 15, 2026, at 2:00 pm.