Walter Welch Bailey

Walter Welch Bailey of Mountain Brook, Alabama died at the age of 94. He was born and raised in the beautiful village of Gowanda, in western New York. He lived amongst generations of family and graduated from Gowanda High School before heading to Ann Arbor, MI to begin college at the University of Michigan where he majored in History. After graduating with a Bachelor in Arts (BA), he entered the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program at the University of Michigan. Upon completion, he started work with the Burroughs Corporation in Detroit. In 1955 he met Nancy Marguerite Perrin. They married in 1956 in Detroit. Walter was drafted into the US Army in 1956, and the young couple was called to Huntsville, AL where Walter reported for duty at Redstone Arsenal in the US Army Ballistic Missile Agency. After finishing his military service, Walter went to work in sales for Addressograph to support his young family. The family moved to Birmingham, AL and in 1968, Walter started his own printing company, Southern Label Company.

Through dedication, hard work, and the commitment he engendered in his employees, the company grew and flourished. He loved travel with Nancy, visiting Western Europe many times, particularly Italy where they enjoyed fine dining, classical music and opera, and Formula-1 racing. The couple made frequent visits to Atlanta and New York for memorable meals, classical concerts, and performances. Walter was a lifelong sports car enthusiast, racing with the Sports Car Club of America, and collecting Alfa Romeos for many years. He was an avid sailor and member of the Birmingham Sailing Club. The tomato yields of his backyard garden were prolific. He was a meticulous organizer of family events, particularly the annual Easter musical parade and egg hunt, donning a bunny suit, creating elaborate maps of the hidden eggs and always lamenting the few that would inevitably be lost until months later. He was never without a shirt pocket full of to-do notes to which he constantly referred. Walter was on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park. He was a faithful parishioner at The Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham where he and Nancy were confirmed into the Catholic Church in 2013. Walter and Nancy were generous, and their support included the Alabama Symphony, the Cathedral of St. Paul, and Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama.

He was a devoted and loyal husband, father, and grandfather. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Nancy Perrin Bailey, and is survived by his children Walter Welch Bailey, Jr. (Susan), Carolyn Jane Bailey, Anne Markham Bailey (Robert Heithaus), all of Birmingham, AL, and grandchildren Thomas Fletcher Bailey of Orlando, FL, Edward Floyd Mostoller of Brooklyn, NY, Jonathan Welch Bailey(Fernanda) of Birmingham, AL, and John Lawrence Bailey (Veronica and Lucy Marie) of Stephens City, VA,

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama.

There will be a visitation held at The Cathedral of St. Paul on Friday, June 19 from 9 am until 10 am. A funeral mass will follow at 10 am. He will be laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Nancy at Birmingham's historic Elmwood Cemetery.