Working with Judge Bayly was a pleasure and an educational and professional learning experience.  He is greatly missed.

I met John and his room mate John Ellsworth when we all lived in Cambridge, Ma  in 1966. John was a dear friend - delightful and witty. We kept in touch over many years.
My deepest condolences to his family.

Marilyn Vanderhoof

Remembrance...John and I became friends in our first days of college. Five years later, he was a groomsman at Cathy and my wedding and two weeks after that we joined him in Cambridge for law school. My particular memories of John, though, were in Paris where John was taking his junior year abroad and I, after dabbling in French courses, was beginning a wanderjahr.  John was not only the best French speaker among our group of friends, he took extracurricular training to perfect his pronunciation! John stayed that year in an elegant 19th cent. apartment near the Etoile. One evening I met him in a nearby bar trying to overcome the remnants of a hangover and upset stomach. John introduced me to Fernet-Branca. A double dose of that digestif serving as an aperitif, we were ready again to find our friends for another night on the town. 

Remembrance...John and I became friends in our first days at college. Five years later, he was a groomsman at Cathy and my wedding and two weeks after that we joined him in Cambridge for law school. My particular memories of John, though, were in Paris where John was taking his junior year abroad and where I, after dabbling in French courses, was beginning a wanderjahr. John was not only the best French speaker among our group of friends, he took extracurricular training to perfect his pronunciation! John stayed that year in an elegant 19th cent. apartment near the Etoile. One evening I met him in a bar nearby trying to overcome the remnants of a hangover and upset stomach. John introduced me to Fernet-Branca. A double dose of that digestif serving as an apéritif, we were ready again to find our friends for another night on the town. Dick McManus 

Judge Bayly was always very kind to me. When my father passed away the very first letter of condolence I received was from Judge Bayly. He provided a compassionate light when I really needed it. 

To all the Bayly Family,

Please accept my deepest condolences on Judge Bayly's passing.  In 1998 as a new hire at Gonzaga, I interviewed Judge Bayly because we profiled him for the alumni magazine as an accomplished alumnus and loyal Son of Gonzaga.  I enjoyed his company immensely during the interview.  His passion for jurisprudence was clear as was his sharp wit and incredible intelligence.

Each time I saw him on campus, we would reminisce on that interview because he humbly thought other alums were more deserving.   I always enjoyed seeing him at Gonzaga events.  You all, and especially Judge Bayly, are in my prayers and in those of the Gonzaga community.  May he rest in peace.

AMDG,
Andrew Battaile (Gonzaga Class of 1990)

To the family,

Thank you for sharing him with the courthouse.  He was a judge of integrity and fairness, with good humor even in challenging times.  I met him when I interned with one of his colleagues. As a practicing attorney, I learned so much from him about civility and honor in life that just happened to overflow into the courtroom.  He is greatly missed but left a remarkable legacy on my generation that should make you proud.

Geneva Vanderhorst, Esq.

I was very sorry to learn of the recent passing of John Bayly. Many yers ago he and I were colleagues as freshly minted lawyers on the staff of the FCC's Review Board. Beneath his sober demeanor, I quickly learned there lay a remarkably quick and nimble wit which he could display at a moment's notice. Although I think we had different backgrounds and political sympathies, we enjoyed each other's company. My best memory of him was when we unexpectedly ran into each other at the Friendship Heights Metro station one morning some twenty years later. We each recognized the other immediately and engaged in a few moments of catching up. He then asked me if he could borrow five dollars because he had no cash with him and needed to add fare to his card to exit at Judiciary Square. I laughingly and happily obliged. A few days later I received a beautiful thank you note (and repayment) from him, which I kept because I thought it was so indicative of his personality. He commended me for "retaining my proverbial generosity to those in need" and thanked me for my "readiness to alleviate the distress of the traveller." He never lost his wit.

Allan Sacks

John and I were colleagues at the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. for several years.  We officed together for a time. I always appreciated John drier-than-dust wit.  A group of we young, newly-minted AUSAs were gathered in the office in the Superior Court building, when we were told that a new U.S. Attorney or a new Attorney General had just been named by the President.  John frowned and said, "That's odd. They didn't contact me." 
He would often ruminate about the wisdom or legality of certain evidentiary or procedural rules. He was intellectually curious. I recall him one time wondering if the rule that allows the judge to instruct the jury that they may infer the theft from the possession of stolen goods was constitutional.  That was John.  It didn't matter that the rule advantaged the prosecution and John was a prosecutor.  He could see things in a clear, non-partisan light.  I'm sure that trait made him an excellent judge.  
Rest in Peace, John.  May your days of puzzlement and reflection be replaced by days of peace. 

John's life and mine connected at several points: we were Harvard Law School classmates, he began work at Stein Mitchell shortly after I left to become a Superior Court Judge, he joined me on that bench a few years later, and both of us were predeceased by a daughter. (John had the added tragedy of being predeceased by two wives.) I think of John as an old-school gentleman- dignified, courteous, thoughtful, polite, considerate with an added touch of wry humor.  In the current world of living intensely, sometimes frenetically, John was a delightful exception - reserved, quiet and unpretentious. He was in many ways a unique individual. I will miss him very much.
Senior District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Curtis E. von Kann


Nice picture of John in the Notice:  catches his gravitas if not his dry and antic wit…well maybe that is captured by the appearance of the off-handedly-tied bow tie that he specialized in… (I on the other hand, when putting on a bow tie [rarely] would agonize with multiple ties to get it Just Right)

I knew John for 55 years I think, and when I first got wind of him it was as the “man about town” and “maybe-not-quite-fully-vetted-and-reliable” boyfriend of my fiancée’s coworker, Barbara Downey, who was John’s first wife.  The hilarity of that characterization of course was later demonstrated by his love and devotion to Barbara in health and sickness and early death….and by his relationships with his career, friendships, second marriage, children, and numerous later losses.  I think as an expert witness psychiatrist I appeared before John in Superior Court just once, and I appreciated but was not surprised by the dignity, attentiveness, fair-mindedness I saw in action that day (of course with no acknowledgment that he knew me socially). 

Such a cultured, intelligent, witty, loyal man he was, throughout his life!  I am sure a hallmark of the comments we will share over the next month will be about his capacity for ironic good humor — and humanity — in the face of lots of personal adversity.   

Hi my name is Barbara Taylor. I met Judge Bayly in 1990.  I started working for the courts in the civil division. Landlord and Tenant office. My office was having a luncheon and it was my first time participating. They ask me what could I bring. I told them I could do my famous devil eggs. So the day of the luncheon one of the clerks in the office fixed a plate for Judge Bayly.  The clerk came and got me and took me to the courtroom. She said the judge wanted to know who did the eggs. Judge Bayly said to me my wife do some good devil eggs but these are so good. I thank the judge and went back to my office. Later that day I had and envelope sent to me. The judge had wrote me a letter signed it with his signature and then but the Court Seal on his signature. I will never forget that. 
May Judge Bayly Rest in Heavenly Peace 🙏🏽💕

Some comments from employees of DC Superior Court:

I enjoyed talking to him about wine!

Very nice Judge
Enjoyed working in his Courtroom

A real nice person if you got to know him with a great dry sense of humor. Became one of my favorite people around the court house.

A true gentleman and a wonderful and compassionate judge.

He was a nice man. Always pleasant. Very fast talker - I say that from the perspective of taking the record.

One of my favorite judges in D.C. Superior Court.

I never had a bad courtroom experience with him, even when getting my kiester kicked (by the AUSA) in trial. My favorite memory of him is the time (July 14, 2006) when I was representing a very difficult client in a sentencing and he called me to the bench to engage me in a pleasant 10-minute conversation because he'd noticed my tricouleur lapel pin. Needless to say, it was a very slow day (a Friday afternoon in summer), so no colleagues were inconvenienced by our tete-a-tete.

Rest in eternal peace Judge Bayly

My condolences to his family. He was one of my favorite judges to appear before. May he rest in peace.

This is sad to hear, he was always pleasant when we interacted.

He was the best. A good man with a great sense of humor and humility.

He was one of my favorite Judges to work with. He really had a funny sense of humor once you got to know him. Praying comfort and strength for his family. 

My Condolences to Judge Bayly family. What a beautiful soul.

Brilliant, funny and kind.  You were blessed in many ways and also suffered many sorrows in life.  Now all of that is over, a life fully lived.
I'll never forget your senior year at Gonzaga when you, Joe Kress, John Brault and I considered ourselves the great intelligencia because we went to foreign movies and read "Catcher in the Rye."  I also remember when you told me you were meant to be a judge because you excelled at telling people what to do.  Just don't try that with God!
Love,
Stephanie Solari NDA '61

John was a gentleman in every respect: witty, kind, caring. We'll miss him very much!

I liked appearing in Judge Bally’s courtroom. Very cerebral and a wry sense of humor.

I handled an appeal from a criminal case Judge Bayly presided over. The transcript included defense counsel asking an eyewitness something like, "You were 80 feet away when you observed the incident, correct?" The witness replied, not that far.  The attorney then asked, "But you said there was 60 feet from you to the incident, and your window was 20 feet off the ground, didn't you?"  Judge Bayly interrupted and stated "The hypotenuse! The hypotenuse!"  The court reporter noted laughter from the jury.

John was a fine gentleman with a wicked sense of humor.  Whether attending a gathering or missing one he would always send a thoughtful note. Always a pleasure to be in his company. A dedicated public servant  who did his job well.


Sincere condolences to Sr. Judge Bayly's family.  It was an honor to serve as his judicial law clerk (1994-95) and previously when he was Of Counsel at Stein, Mitchell & Mezines.  Sr. Judge Bayly was a wonderful and kind mentor.  I returned to Washington D.C. a few times just to have lunch with him and catch up.  I also joined one time with the other judicial law clerks to celebrate his birthday which was an annual tradition.  Thank you for the memories.

~ Sr. Judge Cheryl Moss (Nora)

OBITUARY

John Henry Bayly Jr.

26 January, 1944 – 22 July, 2023

Joseph Gawler’s Sons, LLC

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Past Services

Afternoon Visitation

Mass of Christian Burial

Interment