Eleanor Bering Bailey

Affectionately known as “Deedo” to all who knew and loved her, she is remembered as a woman of great passion with a generous spirit and loving heart.

Deedo was born in Houston on the 15th of August 1929, on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, thus beginning her lifelong devotion in the Catholic faith. She grew up with friends and cousins just a bicycle ride away, and often played touch football or climbed trees in the front yard. She attended River Oaks Elementary, Lanier Junior High School and Lamar High School, where she forged lifelong friendships. At the University of Texas, Deedo was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and graduated with the distinction of Phi Beta Kappa.

In 1947, Deedo met the love of her life, John Edwin Bailey, affectionately known as Snake. Deedo was adored by Snake, and during their sixty-three years of marriage, they built a life based on faith, family, and friends. Deedo was always known as a welcoming hostess, and she cherished her relationships with her bridge club and supper club, which continued to gather for decades. Deedo and Snake were longstanding members of the Houston Country Club and occasionally snuck out to play a few holes of golf together before sunset. Deedo was blessed to live next door and then just across the street from her beautiful sister JoAnn. A loving aunt to her many nieces and nephews, Deedo shared a close bond with them and remained close with them throughout her life.

A fifth generation Houstonian, Deedo was proud of her roots and her family’s longstanding presence in the city. She gave freely of her time to the places and institutions she held close. As a young mother, she volunteered at the Junior League of Houston’s tearoom, and she spent many happy hours with the River Oaks Garden Club. Along with her close friends, Deedo opened a children’s store called The Merry Thought, where for more than fifteen+ years she advised young mothers on which Christmas outfits to buy their toddlers. Deedo’s sharp mind and skill with numbers earned her the role of treasurer for many of the organizations she joined. Wise and strong, Deedo was truly timeless.

Deedo was, quite simply, a lot of fun. She loved to laugh and relished games of every kind, and while she enjoyed winning, she appreciated the fellowship more. She was a fixture at the Houston Country Club playing Rummikub or Mahjong, wagering a quarter a hand, and insisted on teaching the game to all her grandchildren, with constant reminders of the importance of good sportsmanship. Deedo was also an avid spectator, attending all her grandchildren’s athletic competitions and performances, and her beloved Texas Longhorns. She could often be found watching reruns of old victories on the Longhorn Network.

Deedo loved so fiercely, and she made sure you knew it, as most of her conversations ended with “I love you higher than the sky.” As her family grew to include eight grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren, Deedo eagerly planned celebrations for every holiday and birthday. Her love for her family truly knew no bounds, and the joy she derived from it was the thread that carried her through her life.

As her health recently declined, Deedo was grateful for the company of her caregivers Mimi, Anaiyah, Kira, and Selena. Deedo’s family is forever thankful for Margo Castillo, who lovingly and loyally cared for Deedo over the past twenty-three years. Deedo cherished Margo as a member of the family.

Deedo is survived by her four children and their spouses, John E. Bailey Jr. and his wife Leslie, Joe Bailey and his wife Allison, Susie McGee and her husband Skip, and Jimmy Bailey and his wife Lisa; and her eight grandchildren, Joe Bailey, Jr. and his wife Alice, Christopher Bailey and his wife Regan, Katie Field and her husband Alex, John Edward McGee and his wife Katie, Elizabeth McGee, Lauren Jones and her husband Parker, Sarah Anne Dawson and her husband Matt, and Patrick Bailey and his wife Kaela. Deedo was also a proud great-grandmother to her fourteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John Edwin Bailey; her parents, Norman J. and Eleanor Statz Bering; and her sister, JoAnn Bering Bailey Sellingsloh.

Friends are cordially invited to join the family for a Recitation of the Holy Rosary at six o’clock in the evening on Monday, the 22nd of December at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road in Houston. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at ten o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 23rd of December, where Fr. Stephen B. Reynolds is to officiate.

Immediately following all will be invited to greet the family during a reception at a venue to be announced during the service.

The family will gather for a private Rite of Committal at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston at a later time.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to the John Edwin and Eleanor Bering Bailey Endowed Presidential Scholarship with the University of Texas Athletic Department. Gifts may be mailed to: The Longhorn Foundation, P.O. Box 7399, Austin, TX 78713-7399, Attn: Rob Heil; The River Oaks Garden Club, 2503 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098 or by visiting www.riveroaksgc.org; or to a charity of one’s choice.

We invite you to take a few moments to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with her family by selecting the “Add a Memory” icon below.