Barbara Bailey

1936 - 2023

Bailey (Studebaker), Barbara Jo

BAILEY, Barbara Studebaker, 87, of Tipp City, Ohio passed away on October 12, 2023.

If you found yourself shipwrecked on a deserted island, you would want Barbara to be on your boat. A clever problem solver, she found satisfaction in conquering tricky situations. Her technical, inventive, bright, and practical mind served her well throughout life.

The first child of Emmert and Jane Studebaker, Barbara was born in Tipp City, Ohio, in 1936. Later, sister Sonia joined the family. The Studebaker family roots in this beautiful farming community began in 1813 and Barbara was proud of her heritage.

Belying first impressions, Barbara was a bit of a thrill seeker. As a teenager in the 1950s, she had both a pilot's license and a motorcycle license. When she wasn't aloft or on 2 wheels, she was in her sports car. Throughout life, she liked to move and rarely stood still.

Mechanically bent, she attended Ohio University and was the first woman to graduate from its school of engineering. Her first job was with The Ohio State University at WPAFB (now the Air Force Institute of Technology) and it was there that she met Kenneth L. Bailey, who would be her husband for 46 years.

Born at a time when women were nudged aside, Barbara often nudged right back. She was fiercely independent and determined to define her own path.

She had a passion for design and architecture, having designed her Miami County home and developing its 27-acre arboretum, the Barboretum, from the ground up.

At the age of 50, during a gray Ohio winter, Barbara set her sights on finding a sunnier spot when she stepped into the life of a high-altitude trekker with a trip to Nepal. With the travel passion unlocked, she kept going around the globe over and over visiting countries and experiencing their cultures. While on these trips, she took up the hobby of photography. Over time, she mastered this art and took remarkable photos of people and wild animals in faraway places. She used her camera to build relationships with strangers when there was no common language.

Barbara often found herself in faraway jams - like war zones in Cambodia and Peru - and used her determination and grit to get herself out. Her final trip in 2019 was to Afghanistan while the war continued. Other hotspot trips included Iran, Sudan, Mali, the Central African Republic, and every country with the name "___stan". True to form, she applied for a visa to be in the first group of Americans to visit Libya after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011. And she was a bit proud to have gotten more than a dose of tear gas during riots in Istanbul as that meant she was amid the action. She preferred tents over hotels, small villages over large cities, locals over tourists. And, without a doubt, she absolutely loved the Himalayas and its people.

Locally and afar, Barbara quietly helped others attain personal success. To these people, working hard to make a better life for themselves, she offered a helping hand up. She kept these efforts close to her vest; she did it to help others, not for recognition.

Among her many achievements, Barbara was an award-winning author, as well as both a patent and copyright holder. Barbara Bailey was truly an extraordinary woman.

She will be greatly missed by many including her children Heather and Grant, their spouses Frank and Lisa, and her grandchildren Connor, Quentin, and Brooke.

The family wishes to extend deep appreciation to the people who gave Barbara superior care during her last years. They are Kara Bowman, Marilyn Fisher, Rosalie Denlinger King, Shannon Nava, Frances Risner, Pam Studebaker, and George Weaver.

A celebration of Barbara's life will be held at the Troy Country Club, on Thursday November 30, 2023. The event will begin promptly at 3:00 PM. Your stories and memories of Barbara are encouraged to be shared. Following, at approximately 4:00 PM, there will be a reception with appetizers and refreshments to visit with old friends and meet new ones. All are invited to attend either or both.

Troy Country Club Address: 1830 Peters Road, Troy Ohio 45373

937-335-5691

As a tribute to their parents, Barbara and Sonia established an endowment supporting the arts in Bethel Local Schools. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Bethel Arts Fund, c/o Tipp City Foundation, P. O. Box 626, Tipp City, Ohio 45371.