Obituary for Robert 'Bob' Bailey
Bob was born July 4,1929 at Fort Lewis Washington to Ray A Bailey and Alice Jane Bentley Bailey. Bob passed away February 15, 2019 in Oak Harbor, Washington. He has Lived in Coupeville since he moved from Port Townsend when he was 11 years old. When he was younger he had lived on the Boeing estate while his father was the ROTC instructor at the University of Washington.
Bob attended Coupeville Schools and worked for local farmers. He left home when he was 17, bought some property and an old house which he fixed up to live in. He started working for the Washington State Department of Highways when he was 19 where he continued until retirement in 1979. He was dedicated to maintaining his section of the highway between Coupeville and Anacortes and also worked on many other sections of the state roads in Northwest Washington. Bob married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Libbey, in 1949 and they raised their family of six children in several homes he built in Coupeville.
Bob was a talented builder. In addition to houses he built several boats, repaired and built farm machinery and made hay. He raised beef cattle for many years. He enjoyed welding, woodworking, rock hounding and gardening. He won the local Giant pumpkin contest 2 years in a row. He owned and operated a bulldozing business for several years building roads and clearing land.
Bob was proceeded in death by his parents, his daughter Susan Baas, grandson Daniel Bailey and also his brothers Ray A. Bailey Jr., Jerome Bailey and Samuel Bailey.
He is survived by his wife Marilyn, sons Russell (MaryAnne), Robert (Nancy) and daughters Bonnie Kononen (Allen), Julia Goodman (Fredrick) and Rosie Taylor, eighteen grandchildren, twenty-nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. He is also survived by a sister, JoAnn Weldon of North Carolina and brother Jack A. Bailey of Coupeville and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Whidbey Island Nordic Lodge Hall, 63 Jacobs Road in Coupeville, on Saturday, March 16, at 3pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Bob's name to Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE / Seattle, WA 98105.
Bob attended Coupeville Schools and worked for local farmers. He left home when he was 17, bought some property and an old house which he fixed up to live in. He started working for the Washington State Department of Highways when he was 19 where he continued until retirement in 1979. He was dedicated to maintaining his section of the highway between Coupeville and Anacortes and also worked on many other sections of the state roads in Northwest Washington. Bob married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Libbey, in 1949 and they raised their family of six children in several homes he built in Coupeville.
Bob was a talented builder. In addition to houses he built several boats, repaired and built farm machinery and made hay. He raised beef cattle for many years. He enjoyed welding, woodworking, rock hounding and gardening. He won the local Giant pumpkin contest 2 years in a row. He owned and operated a bulldozing business for several years building roads and clearing land.
Bob was proceeded in death by his parents, his daughter Susan Baas, grandson Daniel Bailey and also his brothers Ray A. Bailey Jr., Jerome Bailey and Samuel Bailey.
He is survived by his wife Marilyn, sons Russell (MaryAnne), Robert (Nancy) and daughters Bonnie Kononen (Allen), Julia Goodman (Fredrick) and Rosie Taylor, eighteen grandchildren, twenty-nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. He is also survived by a sister, JoAnn Weldon of North Carolina and brother Jack A. Bailey of Coupeville and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Whidbey Island Nordic Lodge Hall, 63 Jacobs Road in Coupeville, on Saturday, March 16, at 3pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Bob's name to Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE / Seattle, WA 98105.