Kenneth Woods Bailey

Former Assistant to the Regional Manager US Post Office (Chicago). Past President of the National League of Postmasters. Postmaster New Albany, Ohio, American Red Cross Volunteer, Born in Licking County, Ohio December 3, 1921, age 90. Survived by wife Opal, sons Kenneth, Richard, daughters Kathleen and Julie, 13 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Died from Alzheimer's related illness.

Kenneth Woods (Ken) Bailey, born to Harry and Bessie (Woods*) Bailey December 3, 1921 in Licking County, Ohio. Ken grew up on a farm in Licking County with his older brother Paul and younger brother Claire, who died in childhood. While on the farm, Ken learned the rigors of farming including milking the cows, bailing hay, and getting his drinking water from 'the reservoir'. As a result of his adolescent experiences on the farm, Ken was later never fond of 'chicken' or snakes (he later refused to ever order chicken from a menu at a restaurant). Ken played on the Kirkersville varsity basketball team and later graduated from Kirkersville High School in 1939. Before graduation, Ken met Chalmers P. Wylie (later U.S. Congressman from Ohio) on a trip to Washington D.C. as a 'best citizen' award from his school. Ken later became friends with Chalmers, who played for the Pataskala High School basketball team. Through his friend Chalmers, Ken met Chalmers's sister Opal Wylie, who later became his wife.

Ken left Ohio to serve in the Army Air Corps during World War II and acted as a weatherman near the Allied front line in France. He was part of the 352nd Fighter Group (which continues annual reunions in the U.S. or Europe. Ken and Opal have attended several of these reunions, including one in France). For his WWII service, Ken received the "Bronze Star" plus three other service medals. After the war, Ken returned to the U.S. and took a job with the U.S. Post Office. Shortly afterward he married his long time sweetheart Opal M. Wylie on June 16, 1946 at the Pataskala Methodist Church in Pataskala Ohio (a rare video is available of this wedding).

Following his marriage to Opal, Ken moved to Columbus Ohio and took a job as a letter carrier in Bexley, Ohio. Ken occasionally carried one of his young sons, Ken (Steve) or Rick, in his mailbag while delivering the mail door to door in Bexley. Ken attended Franklin University part time and completed an Associate's degree in radio electrical engineering. For a short time, Ken operated a small appliance and TV repair business in Columbus, but later sold the business to an unworthy buyer (unintentionally). Default by the prospective buyer put a tremendous burden on the Bailey family finances for some time.

In 1959 Ken moved the family to New Albany, Ohio and took a job as a rural mail carrier where he brought the mail to the farms around the New Albany area. Ken later became the postmaster for the New Albany Ohio Post Office. At that time, postmaster confirmations were signed by the president of the United States, then president John F. Kennedy.

As a result of his focused efforts as Postmaster, Ken was able to get funding from the U.S. Federal Government to build a brand new post office in New Albany. To commemorate the opening of the new post office, Ken organized a parade for the people of New Albany and the small farming community. Featured in the parade were some of the oldest citizens of the community (90+ years), as well as an old 'Wells Fargo' looking horse drawn wagon which had been used for mail delivery in the area during the late 1890's. Ken's uncle, Charles Youmans, had used a similar wagon for mail delivery in Licking County, Ohio in the late 1890's when the adage was coined "The mail must go through". Thousands of helium filled balloons were released for the parade.

As postmaster, Ken took an active role in promoting the benefits of friends and colleagues employed by The Postal Service. Ken was an active member of The National Letter Carriers Association and The National League of Postmasters for a number of years. Ken was instrumental in organizing many letter carrier and postmaster convention functions in the Midwestern United States. Ken also prepared and delivered many informative and very entertaining speeches for the convention attendees. It was not unusual for Ken to appear at an informal convention function wearing some sort of disguise or wig, to the delight of the convention goers. In 1967, Ken was voted President of The National League of Postmasters for the United States, and in 1969 was awarded a lifetime membership in Ohio's Past President's Club. In 1971, Ken received 'The Order of the Vest' an award provided by the airline industry for his help promoting the travel industry.

Also, while living in New Albany, Ken was an active member of the local volunteer fire department and emergency ambulance service. In support of this role, Ken studied first aid and later became a regional first aid instructor for The American Red Cross. Ken was also active in the local Masonic Lodge where he was one of the leaders of the 'Job's Daughters'. He was also a member of the New Albany United Methodist Church.

Through experience and seniority, Ken continued to move up the ladder in the new "Postal Service". In 1969 Ken took a job as an administrator in the Cincinnati Regional Post Office (5 state region), and moved the family to Cincinnati, Ohio. Within two years several smaller regional offices were consolidated into one large13 state postal region in Chicago. In October 1971, Ken moved the family once again to the Chicago area (Arlington Heights) to take the position of Assistant to the Regional Manager in the 13 state Chicago Regional Post Office. Ken started taking flying lessons and received his private pilot's license while living in Arlington Heights.

In 1983, Ken retired from the Postal Service after 40 years of service and moved to Venice Florida, his current home. Still active in retirement, Ken renewed his flying license at the local Venice Airport. He continued flying small planes until his 80th birthday. Ken also took a part time job as a security guard and bus driver for the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey (no relation) Circus in Venice Florida. While a security guard, Ken became close acquaintances with a number of the circus celebrities including Gunther, the lion tamer, and many of the clowns in the clown college. Ken used the opportunity with the clown college to 'bone up' on some of his comical routines and to learn how to wear a clown's suit. Ken occasionally wore his clown's suit for special occasions or when giving out candy for Halloween.

To fill up his time, Ken also joined the local Sarasota chapter of the American Red Cross as a disaster volunteer. In retirement, Ken served as an American Red Cross volunteer for a number of hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters. In 2001, when he was 80 years old, Ken served as an American Red Cross volunteer at ground zero following the 9/11 attack. In consideration of his American Red Cross service starting as a first aid instructor, Ken served the American Red Cross as a volunteer for over 40 years.

Some of the other part time jobs Ken has held over the years include basketball referee (high school), little league coach, rural newspaper delivery man, maintenance man, retirement facility bus driver, and hotel clerk.

We the family grieve the passing of our loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. We ask that you would join us to celebrate Ken's colorful and successful life full of service to the family and to the community.

*Through the Woods family (mother's side), Ken was related (second cousins) to the Warren Woods family, also sons Frank and Harry, who discovered gold in Teller County Colorado in the mid 1890's. By the year 1900, the Woods family had founded the gold mining town of Victor, Colorado and were considered the wealthiest and most successful gold miners in the Victor, Cripple Creek, and the Teller County region of Colorado. Unfortunately, their wealth did not last and not a nickel of it ever came in Ken's direction.