William F. Bailey

In high school, he played on the Basketball team. He continued enjoying sports after graduation, but only as a spectator.

On March 11, 1941, he enlisted in the Navy with plans on making a career of it. He contracted rheumatic fever and was admitted to Portsmouth Naval Hospital. He received a Honorable Discharge for medical reasons on July 3, 1941.

He then moved to Portland, Oregon and went to work in the Shipyard. He became a master burner . This is where he met his future wife who was also an employee at the Shipyard. They married in 1943 and went on to become the parents of seven children.

With a feeling that he needed to do something for the war effort, he enlisted as a temporary member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve on August 24, 1944. Their purpose was to patrol the Oregon coastline. He received a Honorable Disenrollment on March 24, 1951.

In 1946, while being “on call” for the Coast Guard, he went to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He worked there for 23 years and retired in 1969. He then went to work for Esco Corporation and retired from there in 1987. Since his marriage had ended in divorce while at Esco, he filled his time after retirement by going to work at a large apartment complex as a security guard.

After a second marriage ended in divorce, he moved to Towson, MD in Nov of 2000. He made this his home until his death on April 21, 2013.

He was predeceased by two sons, William and Ronald, and one daughter, Judy Althaus. He is survived by three daughters, Susan Turner, Sarah Frison & Joyce Pepiot, one son, James Bailey, two sisters, two brothers, twelve grandchildren and several grandchildren.