Vivian Bailey was born March 9, 1914 in Goshen, Arkansas to Amanda Bell and Albert Bailey. She left this life June 13, 2011 at the age of 97 at Circle of Life Hospice where she and her family received great care.
All her siblings and several nephews that she loved dearly preceded her in death. Survivors include three nephews, Frank and his wife PJ and their family of Bentonville, Kenneth and his wife Sandy and their family of Farmington, and Joe and his family of Fayetteville; three nieces, Mildred Winborn and her family of Fayetteville, Frances of Fayetteville, and Barbara Porter and her husband Bill and their family of Springdale; her late nephew Harold’s wife Carolyn and her family in Owasso, OK, her late nephew Randall’s wife Barbara and her family in Colorado Springs, CO, her late nephew Allen’s wife Peggy and her family in Fayetteville; 5 great nieces, 9 great nephews, 10 great great nieces, 12 great great nephews, and 3 great great great nieces.
Vivian was the evening supervisor at what she called “the old student union” at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for over 20 years. She made many friends with the faculty, staff, and students who stayed in contact with her through her life journey and theirs. When she talked about her “Union Days” she would smile and you knew that was a happy time in her life.
She lived most of her life in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In her later years when her health declined she moved to Ft. Smith to be close to her nephew Frank and his wife PJ. She moved into her own apartment at Methodist Village and made many friends, including Jean Foster, who started out as her caregiver 7 days a week for several years but is now a part of the family.
When Frank and PJ moved to Bentonville, Vivian moved with them and moved into the Greenhouse Project at Legacy Village where again, she made many friends. Everywhere she went, she made many friends.
Church was also a big part of her life. She attended the Baptist Church for many years but when she moved to Ft. Smith her nephew, who is Episcopalian, asked if he could find her a church, she declined, saying “when I feel like going I will go with you. It does not matter what church you attend, it only matters that you attend.”
Vivian never married or had children of her own, but for many of us, a movie quote comes to mind: “I never had kids of my own but I feel like I raised me some.” Yes, Vivian, you sure did.
A celebration of her life will be 2pm Saturday, June 18, 2011 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Bentonville with interment of her ashes at Zion Cemetery following the services.
Memorials can be made in Vivian’s name to the Northwest Arkansas Community College Disability Resource program, 1 College Drive Bentonville, AR 72712 or to Circle of Life Hospice, 901 Jones Rd Springdale, AR 72762.
Online condolences can be made at www.callisonlough.com.
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