Chester Vann "Chet" Bailey

On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, Chester "Chet" Vann Bailey, loving father of 7 children, passed away at the age of 80.

Chester was born in Birmingham, Alabama on January 3, 1938, to Bertha Vann and Chester Morris Bailey. Raised by his mother and grandmother (Sallie Bell Jackson), after losing his own father an early age, Chester went on to graduate from high school, and, true to a childhood prophecy, entered the Navy, where he began what would become a life long commitment of service for others.

Following his time in the Navy, Chester became the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a Bachelor's Degree from his beloved University of Washington in 1976. Prior to earning his degree at UW, he majored in Electrical Engineering at the Tuskegee Institute, did graduate work in Vocational Education and taught for a couple years at San Mateo College before joining the OICW (now known as JobTrain) as a volunteer Instructor for the Electronic Technician Class. Within two years, he was promoted to Supervisor and, shortly thereafter, Director of Operations. Chester was no stranger to breaking barriers and exceeding expectations. Additionally, during this time, Chester was the President of the Jaycee's - Palo Alto Branch (one of the first black presidents for this group), the Vice President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and a member of the Executive Board of Directors NAACP Palo-Alto Stanford Branch. This would foreshadow Chester's career path of dedicated leadership and enduring commitment towards advancing civil rights for all.

Guided by his experience growing up black in the projects of the segregated South and his passion for helping others, Chester parlayed his education, experience, and personality into a long career with the Executive branch of the federal government, where he spent over 30 years of his life passionately prosecuting all forms of workplace discrimination, as a long serving District Director of the Seattle, then Milwaukee, and finally the Phoenix EEOC regional offices. During his time with the EEOC, Chester continued to strive to better himself professionally and personally, earning many accolades for his involvement in high profile cases, as well as, earning a certificate in Senior Executive Management from the Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

His life's work and convictions are well conveyed by the titles of a few books that he is quoted in, "Taking on the Big Boys or Why Feminism is Good For Families, Business, and the Nation", which characterizes Chester as taking a broader view on when a discrimination claim can be brought against an employer than others at the EEOC at the time, and "When Good Companies Go Bad, 100 Corporate Miscalculations and Misdeeds", detailing his offices successful invasion of privacy and retaliation claim against the second largest railroad in the country (EEOC v. Burlington Northern and Santa Fe), which immediately protected thousands of workers from genetic discrimination and eventually led to a ban of genetic testing as a condition of employment nationwide several years later. He took great pride in his work and loved every day he spent championing civil rights, fighting for both his own and other's freedom from discrimination.

In his personal life, Chester enjoyed playful competition with friends and family - often noting that he was "cooking with Crisco" when on a hot streak in video games, sports, dominoes or Scrabble. His competitiveness was supplemented by his charm, which captured the love and affection of so many. His charm was a gift that he shared widely thanks to his outgoing nature. It was unmistakable and will be remembered vividly by all who knew him. Even as dementia challenged his ability to express himself in his final years, his personality never gave in. He defiantly told the disease, you can take my mind, but you can never take my personality.

While his work was his passion, his family was his pride. Chester never missed an opportunity to tell his surviving children Pheleta Bailey-Santos, Greg Bailey (Victoria) Micah Lightner, Danielle Bailey (Katelyn), Jon Bailey, Zach Bailey (Rebecca), and Aaron Bailey, as well as his surviving grandchildren, Evan, Christian, Ava, Hari, Julian and Maven, how much he loved them. He even found a way to sing it when his disease would no longer let him speak it directly. He encouraged them to always dream big and follow those dreams, to push themselves and above all, to support one another. He also leaves behind cherished, life long friendships with Louise R. Bailey, Clara Rice, and Carole Bailey-Grgich.

His children would like to thank Silver Springs of Mequon, Jackie Chiarelli, Nancy Ortega, and the rest of its amazing staff for the loving care they provided Chet in his final years of life, they take solace in knowing there was no better place for him to be during that time.

Chester took more pride in his children's accomplishments than his own and they took more pride in his accomplishments than he ever knew. Despite not having a father of his own to learn from, he taught all of his children so much. Chester's memory and legacy will live on forever through them and through the impact he has had on so many. Instead of a memorial service, his children will be gathering in Big Sur, California, Chet's favorite place, to celebrate his life and honor his wishes by spreading his ashes across the sea.

Chet will be greatly missed, never forgotten and always loved.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in Chester's name to the Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation. https://arpf.donorshops.com/products/Tribute/tributedonation


"My daily stimulus is my spirit of service, living and making a difference by helping those who are less fortunate and those who are in need" - Chester Bailey, 1938-2018.