John Whitman Bailly

Bailly, John Whitman
90, of Sun City AZ passed away on May 30, 2011. John learned resiliency at an early age. In 1925, John's family was abandoned by his father and John was ?farmed out.' He was placed with Frank Upton and family of Nelson, NH, who welcomed him into their hard-working family. In addition, John remained close to his mother, sister and brothers. Family was his proudest accomplishment. His brother Lou was instrumental in starting John in his favorite hobby, 1st Day Cover collecting. In their early teens, the boys received 1st Day Cover cancellations from an Admiral Byrd expedition to Antarctica. John's enthusiasm for this fascinating hobby was cemented. Other significant influences included an adventurous two years aboard the school ship Nantucket. Built in 1876, the Nantucket was a 3-masted, bark-rigged, steam powered "gun boat" in which The Massachusetts Maritime Academy offered cadets training as either a deck or engineer officer. Upon graduation in the spring of 1942, John served in the Merchant Marines during WWII, achieving the rank of Captain. After the war, John continued to command merchant ships until he married and started a family. His wife, Beverly, was his "angel" and John credited her with any success raising their children. During his 29 years at Boeing, the family lived on both coasts and in between. After their retirement, John and Bev looked to Sun City, AZ as the perfect location to enjoy their golden years. There, John continued to pursue his many insatiable interests and hobbies which included Scouting, fitness, the space program and gardening. He was especially keen on current affairs and through correspondences, exchanged newspaper clippings and opinions with Lou. Bev and John's love of travel fitted in nicely with the regular issuing of new US stamps and they crisscrossed the country, attending 1st Day of Issue ceremonies. After Beverly passed away, John married Hazel Rottmeyer, who loved travelling as well and together they motored and cruised near and far. John always said he lived a lucky life, with a rabbit's foot in each pocket. He left us feeling lucky to have known him: his quest for knowledge, his easy-going friendliness, and his love of life Family services pending in New Hampshire Contributions preferred to Alzheimer's Association, Desert Southwest Chapter,1028 E McDowell Road Phoenix, AZ 85006-2662, or favorite charity.