Obituary of James A Bailey

Deacon James "Jim" Allen Bailey was born on March 24, 1935 in Scottsburg, VA. He was the ninth child of Rev. James Harry Bailey and Helen Coleman Bailey. After a valiant struggle with illness, he transitioned to his reward on November 14, 2016. He attended public schools in Halifax County and graduated from the Mary Bethune Training School in 1953. Soon after, he headed for New York City. He joined the US Army in 1957 and after serving in the Army Reserves for four years, was honorably discharged. In 1962 he began his career at the New York City Transit Authority and a year later married a pretty girl named Barbara Ann Bell. They settled in Jamaica, Queens where they built a life, raised their family and became active in their community. He served as a deacon at Calvary Baptist Church for over 20 years. He especially loved working with the little league baseball team, driving in the bus ministry, and attending the Wednesday Hour of Power noontime prayer service. On first Sundays he traveled throughout the area serving communion to seniors, sick and shut in. After 26 years of service, he retired from the NYC Transit Authority as a supervisor. Jim was a lifelong hunter and spent hours in the woods with his beagles by his side. "Big Red" loved baseball, gardening, telling stories, and a good laugh. His love of family often took him back home to the red clay of Virginia and to family reunions around the country. Jim and Barbara returned to Virginia in 2004, fulfilling a lifelong dream and building their retirement home in Powhatan. They joined St. James Missionary Baptist Church in Scottsburg and when his health no longer allowed him to travel there as often, they joined Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Powhatan. Cherishing his memory are his devoted wife Barbara; children William, Quinton, and Stacy; grandchildren Christopher, Isaac, Sasha, and Nikeva; sister Florence Hurtt, sisters and brothers in law Charles Jones, Jean and Maurice Monroe, Dorothea and Moses Taylor, Ivory Bell, Harold Bell and Angela Bell, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Jim's kindness and love for serving others was a blessing that returned to him. He was grateful for the dedicated friendship of Durlin Harris, Don Batcheler, Rodney Harris, and Jason Edwards. Don't