Harry B. Bailey Jr. of Sylvania died on January 22, 2011 at 12:26 p.m. after a short illness at Candler St. Joseph Hospital in Savannah. He was born in Augusta, GA on March 8, 1928, the oldest of Harry and Francis Bailey's three children, and left Augusta after high school to attend The Citadel. After only a year he entered the Marine Corps and served for 2 years before finishing his degree in forestry at the University of Georgia in 1950. He later earned his masters degree in forestry at Yale University. He went to work immediately for his only employer, Union Camp Corporation, and worked in its woodlands, research and procurement divisions and lived in many small towns in south Georgia until his retirement in 1988. It was through his work that he met the people who would ultimately lead him to retire in Sylvania. He highly valued his friends there and would spend some of the best times of his life with them in their homes and his.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Barbara Watts Bailey of Savannah, GA, and their 4 children, Elisabeth Anne Takats, of Chesapeake, VA and her husband Terry; Harry B. Bailey III of Decatur, GA and his wife Ruthie; Thomas Allen Bailey of Johns Creek, GA and his wife Carla; and Matthew Watts Bailey, of Germantown, TN and his wife Cheryl. He is also survived by his grandchildren Sara Cathey of Brownwood, TX, and her husband Shay; Matt and Allison Bailey of Decatur, GA; John, Katherine and Michael Takats of Chesapeake, VA and Jade and Jewel Bailey of Germantown, TN; a great grandson, Cole Cathey of Brownwood, TX, and Mr Bailey's 2 sisters, Mary Richardson of McLean, VA and Katherine Pressley of Bloomington, IL.
Harry Bailey was a man of many interests. He never lost his love of the forest, and was a member of the International Oaks Society. He designed the house he retired to, and devoted much of his time to the management of his home and land. He enthusiastically supported efforts to beautify Screven County as well as efforts to protect and care for stray animals. His home was populated by the results of those efforts, as he and Barbara took in more stray and unwanted pets over the years than can well be counted; seven survive him. A true intellectual, he read on topics ranging from garden, home and kitchen design to health and fitness, history, poetry, language, cinema, travel, horticulture and, of course, Patrick O'Brian's novels of the Royal Navy.
But without doubt his greatest interest for over 50 years was his family. He never saw a woman more beautiful than his wife, and was fascinated by the smallest details of his children's lives. He liked nothing more than hearing of their latest ups, downs, and concerns, and loved discussing politics, issues and current events with them. He was never afraid to change his mind, and he will be sorely missed.
Memorial Service will be held on Monday January 24, 2011 at 3:00 P.M. in the Chapel of Thompson-Strickland-Waters Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Friends of Screven County Animals, 632 W. Ogeechee St., Sylvania, GA 30467. And never throw trash on the road.
Arrangements under the direction of Thompson-Strickland-Waters Funeral Home, Sylvania, GA.
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