Robert Bailey

Robert Edward Bailey, 95, died December 27. He was born October 24, 1921 in Danville, Illinois, to Charles Clinton Bailey and Ruth Edna Long Bailey. The family later moved to Appleton, Wisconsin where Bob attended school. He graduated from high school as president of the 1939 senior class. After graduation, he enrolled in Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa, on a basketball scholarship.
While a student there in 1941, he contracted polio. For therapy he became active in swimming and was hired after graduation to be the swimming director at the Des Moines YMCA camp. While in that position he became acquainted with a counselor, Joan Mcintire of Des Moines, at the nearby YWCA camp. They were married a year later in 1944 and moved to Eldora, Iowa where he was a coach and teacher in the Eldora high school for three years. Their son, Robert Moore, was born in Eldora in 1945.
In 1947 the family moved to Buhl where Bob became an employee at the Buhl Herald which was owned and published by his father-in-law. The early death of Robert McIntire in 1949 cast the trainee into the role of editor and publisher, a job he held until retirement in 1986. Their daughter, Barbara Jo, was born in 1952.
Following retirement from the weekly publishing business, he filled a position as Buhl's school transportation director and he held the post for eight years. His wife, Joan, of nearly 50 years died on August 7, 1994. In 2004, he moved to be with his daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Richard Cox, to Blairsden, CA. In 2008, he moved to Boise where he was living at the time of his death.
He joined the Buhl Rotary club in 1950 and was a 61-year member. In 2001 he was presented the special Four Avenues of Service Citation from Rotary International. He was a Paul Harris Fellow and a Benefactor of the Rotary Foundation. He served in many officer roles and was particularly happy to be part of creating Buhl's Rotary Triangle at Main and Clear Lake roads.
In 1957, he served as president of the Idaho Press Association. In 1974, he was elected a regional director of the National Newspaper Association and was NNA president 1980-81 and received the Amos Award in 1985 for dedication to the industry.
He was active in many local activities including the Red Cross, Buhl's Golden Anniversary committee, president of the Buhl Jaycees and the Buhl Chamber of Commerce. In 1993 he was the Grand Marshal of the Buhl Sagebrush Days parade. He was featured in a "Portrait of Distinguished Citizen" in the Idaho Statesman in 1976. Bailey was a 50-year member of the Buhl Masonic lodge, a member of the Boise Valley Scottish Rite Masons, and a lifetime member of the Methodist church.
He is survived by a daughter, Barbara Cox of Blairsden, CA, daughter-in-law Judy Bailey, granddaughters, Stephanie (Robert) White and Brooke (Jason) Patterson, and four great grandchildren, Aaron and Addie White, and Bailey and Davis Patterson all of Boise. He was preceded in death by his wife Joan, his son Robert M. Bailey, son-in-law Richard Cox, his parents, brothers Richard and James, and sister Dorothy Olsen.
Bob suggested any memorials be made to the choice of the donor. A celebration of his life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at the Buhl Methodist Church.