Prior to this, Joan spent 91 years lighting up every room she ever entered with her lovely smile. Born on July 9th, 1926, she was raised in the Iowa heartland and attended both Drake University and Kalamazoo College where she pursued her passion for Liberal Arts. She took time off from her studies to serve her country during World War II as a civilian contractor at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM and then, when the war ended, completed her undergraduate degree and began work for the American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake, Wisconsin. While there, she met a handsome young tenor, James L. Bailey, with whom she spent the next 64 years of her life, 61 of them in marriage, until his death in 2013 temporarily separated them.
Together, they traveled the world, then settled down in Urbana and, as faculty, pursued their joint passion for education at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where the two of them taught thousands of students over the next 40 years. While her husband continued his music career and eventually became the Chairman of the Voice Division at the U of I's School of Music, Joan earned three master's degrees in English, Speech, and Education, taught at the University of Illinois in all three areas, and frequently earned "Best Instructor on Campus" accolades from her students. She also spent several years teaching middle school in both the Iowa and Illinois public school systems, and taught speech courses at Parkland College in Champaign.
An accomplished violinist, Joan performed her entire life and played for years with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony orchestra. In addition, Joan was a talented artist who showcased her theatrical skills in local theater, and was also known for her ability to render high quality drawings by hand.
A life-long Christian, Joan was highly active in her church, the First Presbyterian Church of Urbana, and served as an Elder, a member of Session, and a Deacon. Joan was also a lay minister and taught numerous Sunday school and adult education courses in theology. Her passion for teaching was second only to her dedication and abundant love for her family. She was a wonderful mother to her two daughters, and a wildly devoted grandmother to her three grandchildren. In 2012, Joan and Jim moved to Chicago to be nearer to their children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughters, Gwen and Jeanne, her son-in-law, Richard, her three grandchildren, Victoria, Theodore, and Kaylee, and five much-loved nieces and nephews.
A public memorial service will be held at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut, Chicago, IL on Thursday, June 28 at 3:30 p.m. Joan would be delighted if, instead of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Chicago Lights Tutoring Program that serves Chicago's neediest students. To do so please use the following link and select "Tutoring" from the drop down menu:
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