Bailee Mae Zuo Mulholland

Bailee Mae Zuo Mulholland, age 26, passed away doing what she loved most, climbing a mountain, in Rocky Mountain National Park on July 9, 2023. Bailee was born in Hunan Province, China on November 25, 1996 and adopted at 10 months old. Two years later her sister Liana was adopted from China to join our family. They have always been inseparable best sisters together!

Bailee attended High Peaks Elementary, Centennial Middle School, Boulder High, and CU Boulder. She earned many awards and was on every single honor roll…except that one college semester that involved calculus… In high school she joined the cross country team. She was not the fastest, but she was tenacious. She began her studies at CU Boulder as a music major, later changing to a double major in Chinese and Computer Science, graduating in 2020. Her career as a Computer Software Engineer brought her great joy. During her college years she developed a love of long distance running and all things having to do with the mountains. While in college she took part in the Running Road Race, running in all 48 contiguous states to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s research. She started to rock climb and scramble on the Flatirons, quickly becoming very good at both. Joining “Satan’s Minions” scrambling club brought her much enjoyment. She recently climbed a 5.13a pitch, has backpacked in Patagonia, climbed an 18,000 ft. volcano in Mexico, participated in a team race up three mountain peaks in Austria, run the “Bear 100” ultramarathon, and on and on. She even tried ice climbing a couple of times. Recently she competed in the Minotaur Skyrace in Canada, where she finished 8th out of 111 women, the other 7 being sponsored professionals. After discovering yoga in high school, she became a certified instructor, teaching numerous classes at several local yoga studios. She was passionate about sharing her love of yoga, and, of course, she taught the hardest classes.

Although Bailee excelled in many athletic and academic pursuits, she never wanted to be in the spotlight and was honestly embarrassed by it. She was happier nurturing and mentoring others. But the real heart of Bailee was her many other passions. From her first birthday seeing a hippo at the zoo, she adored them, collecting hundreds of stuffies and sponsoring care of hippos with her own money. She always loved the color red, and often chose it as a hair color. As a child Bailee loved to be read to, and then to read herself. We would go to the library every week and she would check out an impressive stack of books. She was an accomplished hula dancer, a Silver award Girl Scout, and professional level chef and baker. Her love language was cooking and she loved to bestow treats on everyone. Bailee’s Chinese heritage was important to her, attending Chinese Camp with our family for 16 years and then serving as a counselor for several more. When she was 5 she took an interest in the violin, playing in school and community orchestras throughout her school years. She organized several quintets, and they even had a few paying performances! Her nurturing nature had her rescuing and growing a jungle of plants, as well as trying to get her parents to adopt every single small white fluffy dog from the Humane Society. (You’ve heard of Cody and Zack???) She worked hard and saved her money, and was so proud to buy a condo in Boulder all by herself.

Bailee treasured family time, and we always celebrate every single holiday together with lots of food, fun, and incredible cakes. Mom’s famous spaghetti was her favorite meal. She would regularly come home for a sleepover with her dogs, binge watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel with Dad, enjoy tea, conversation and cooking with Mom, make dumplings and fresh pasta and have Sponge Bob marathons with her Sissy. Grief Mountain will be the highest and most difficult peak we have ever climbed, taking her with us every step. Her enormous smile and joyful being will be greatly missed. We love you forever baby girl.

Bailee is survived by her parents, Brent and Michelle, her sister Liana, beloved dogs Cody and Zack, grandparents John and Carolyn Mulholland, and Mary Little, and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and a wide circle of friends..

*** Please check back for details about Bailee’s Celebration of Life at www.cristmortuary.com