Forrest Ridgeway Bailey

Forrest was born on November 8, 1932, in San Francisco, CA, the first of two sons of Forrest Halbert Bailey and Adele Conwit. He spent his childhood in San Francisco before going to Reed College in Oregon for two years. Then after a four-year sojourn in the Navy Forrest finished his college years at Boston University and at the University of Michigan where he earned advanced degrees.

He subsequently taught painting and drawing at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Iowa before training for a second career in art conservation with Caroline and Sheldon Keck in Cooperstown, N.Y. The last twenty-five years of his professional career were spent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, first as resident conservator and then head of the Museum’s first conservation department.

Forrest met Ann Brubaker at the Nelson and together they built a life together of over 37 years; first in Kansas City, then in retirement in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Forrest was a prolific and accomplished oil painter. In retirement, he returned full time to this passion, interpreting the world around him through his art. He exhibited throughout SE Connecticut. His work is featured in a number of corporate and private collections. For a selection of his works, visit: http://www.forrestrbailey.com Having learned to play the four-string banjo in his youth, he continued to have a love for American folk music and was also an avid collector of contemporary ceramics.

Forrest R. Bailey is survived by Ann Brubaker, his longtime partner, his ex-wife Barbara Kramer Bailey and by his three children, Forrest Douglas Bailey (Elisa,) Christopher Tomlin Bailey (Monique,) and Stephanie Bailey Troeller. He is also survived by his eight loving grandchildren: Madeleine Primavera Bailey, Forrest Nicholas Bailey, Julian Tomlin Bailey, Gabriel Charles Bailey, Brandon Joseph Troeller, Kimberly Quinn Troeller, Deirdre Shambaugh Troeller and Zachary Joseph Troeller. He was pre-deceased by his parents and younger brother, Dennis Bailey.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00am in North Lyme Cemetery,

1 Sterling City Rd., Lyme, CT, on Saturday, September 6, 2025.

Please visit http://www.fultontherouxoldlyme.com for tributes and directions.

In lieu of flowers, we suggest a donation to the ACLU in memory of Forrest and his grandfather Forrest Cutter Bailey who was an early co-director of the ACLU.