George E. Bailey, Sr. of Columbus passed away Saturday, May 21, 2011. Funeral services will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 1100 1st Ave, Columbus on Thursday, May 26, 2011, 11 a.m. with Reverend Chuck Hasty officiating. Interment will follow at Parkhill Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 from 5-7 pm.
Mr. Bailey was born in Philadelphia, PA and grew up in Griffin, GA. His parents were Nell Barrow Bailey and Edward Prince Bailey. He attended Griffin High School, played on the football team, and courted his future bride Helen Eggert. The two married in 1948.
During World War II Mr. Bailey proudly served his country by enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944. After being trained as a ball turret gunner for the famous B-17 Flying Fortress, he was assigned to the 303rd Bomb Group of the Mighty Eighth Air Force stationed in England. He flew 24 combat missions over the hazardous skies of Germany. On his 24th mission over Berlin in March of 1945, his B-17 sustained multiple hits by German flak and was forced to make an emergency landing with three engines out. Mr. Bailey and his crew were found by the Russian Army and detained in a Russian hospital until after the war. Upon his return he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Air Medal.
Mr. Bailey enrolled in Georgia Tech and graduated in 1948 with a degree in Textiles. While at Tech, he was on the track team and was an SEC champion sprinter. After living in Milledgeville and Atlanta with Helen, George moved to Columbus, where he worked for Muscogee Manufacturing Company. He loved both making sales and meeting people, and he founded his own company, Muscogee Textiles, in 1969. He retired in 1988. After Helen died in 1992 he married Lenora Hogan in 1993. After Lenora over a decade later, George married his beloved wife Cheryl Clark in 2006.
Mr. Bailey was a member of First Presbyterian church in Columbus from 1957. He particularly enjoyed the challenge of teaching 7th and 8th grade Sunday school classes. Mr. Bailey was active in the Isaac Walton league, a group concerned with environmental protection of the Chattahoochee Valley. He was active in Boy Scout Troup 24 at First Presbyterian and was a member of the Columbus Country Club from the late ‘50s. Mr. Bailey excelled in doubles tennis and golf. He enjoyed traveling to Florida frequently with friends and family. Mr. Bailey also enjoyed saltwater fishing, bird hunting, snow skiing, and watching all kinds of sports.
He is survived by his wife Cheryl Bailey; daughter Libby Bailey; son George E. Bailey, Jr. and his former spouse, Laura Curtis; sister Nell Bailey Criswell and her husband Howard; and four grandchildren Emily Brandes, Kate Hayes, Margaret Bailey, and Madelyn Bailey.
Mr. Bailey was loved by all who knew him, being always kind, optimistic, and charitable. He was respected for his quiet strength and leadership. He will be missed and remembered.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to First Presbyterian Church, 1100 1st Ave., Columbus, GA 31902 or your favorite charity.
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