Loretta "Lorie" Kiel Bailey

Loretta “Lorie” Kiel (nee Casteel) Bailey passed away on February 15, 2021, at the age of 67. She was born on February 28, 1953, to the late Walter Q. Sr. and Jean Mary Louise (nee Emrie) Casteel. Lorie was the youngest of 9 children & was affectionately known as “little britches”.

Lorie was preceded in death by her husband Carl A. Bailey, Sr. in 2014. Lorie is survived by 2 sons: Carl (Chip) A. Bailey II and Kris Bailey; a daughter-in-law Anne Bailey & 2 grandchildren; Morganne Bailey and Jack Dawson Bailey. She is also survived by seven siblings; Alice Cass (Steven), Mary Methe (Terry), Margaret Henneberry (Vince), Walter Casteel Jr. (Helen), David Casteel (Cheryl), Martha Casteel, Thelma Jones (Bob). Lorie was also preceded in death by her sister Jeanne Casteel.

Lorie grew up in the Normandy area of St. Louis County, and even at an early age, her eternal optimism was evident. Once, as a child, Lorie stood patiently outside, holding a birdcage over her head, waiting for a missing pet parakeet to return.

Lorie graduated from Normandy High School in 1971 & later attended UMSL & was the first of her family to earn a degree. While attending UMSL she also worked at Patrick’s of Westport as a server. She told me many times, to “never make a trip back to the kitchen empty-handed”.

Later in life, she married Carl Bailey, a man 17 years her senior. Lorie looked beyond their difference in age & ignored his crazy hair & highly questionable fashion sense. She saw the real beauty & value inside of people. Lorie moved to Louisburg Kansas to live on their little farm. Louisburg was a town of 1200 strangers to Lorie & she cried every day. She missed her family, her friends & the familiarity of St. Louis. Carl was away on work often & instead of sitting isolated at home, Lorie decided to get involved.

She worked at the local library, joined a quilting club & became a realtor. When she and Carl decided to move back to St. Louis 5 years later, Lorie again cried, about leaving her new-found friends & community. Lorie worked as a realtor in St. Louis & found her passion in helping people find the right home. She could instantly bond with any person & instead of waiting to speak, she truly listened. She was a quilter, photographer & naturally talented skier.

She also enjoyed talking to animals & believed that they could understand her. She once scolded a black snake for stealing one of her hen’s eggs & the snake promptly spit the egg out. Lorie held many nicknames such as; Bam Bam, Granny, Mammy, Addie & Pollyanna. She had an adventurous spirit & loved to travel. She once rode a zipline backward, in the rain in Hawaii.

Always up for a road trip, ballgame, or rousing game of continental rummy, she was great company. Lorie adored her grandchildren and made every effort to travel to California often to spend quality time with them. Through her generosity, the family took yearly trips together to destinations such as Washington DC, the Grand Canyon, New York City, and San Francisco.

A funeral mass will be held on March 22, 2021, at 11:00 AM at Christ, Prince of Peace Church 415 Weidman Road Manchester, MO 63011 with visitation from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Interment to follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery 2900 Sheridan Rd. in St. Louis, MO 63125. Memorials may be made in Lorie’s honor to The Siteman Cancer Center of St. Louis.