Eddie DeRoy Bailey

Funeral services for Eddie DeRoy Bailey, 64, were Monday, Sept. 29, 2008, at Alexander Funeral Chapel in Wilson, his brother Lloyd Bailey giving tribute. Burial will follow at Reck Cemetery near Wilson with full military honors from Shepphard Air Force Base.Alexander Funeral Home in Wilson is in charge of arrangements.Eddie departed this life volunteering his time as part of the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Team at League City, Texas, near Galveston on Tuesday, Sept. 23. He was born Dec. 9, 1943, in Seminole, Okla., to Thomas Alexander and Opal Marie Taylor Bailey. Eddie attended elementary school at Zaneis, Okla., and high school in Cortez, Colo., where he played football. He joined the U.S. Air Force in October 1961 as a combat medic until 1969 and then joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard serving there as a combat medic until 1997. He served his country proudly for more than 36 years, retiring as a Chief Master Sergeant. He attended college at Central State University in Edmond where he received his bachelor’s degree, majoring in nursing. He later received his master’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma City University. He married the former Joyce Fitzsimmons and of this union came two sons, Keith Alan and Michael David Bailey. He would later marry the former Marquita Pearl Johnson at Shook United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City and of this union came children, Frederick Wayne McGehee, Marc Douglas McGehee, Shandrah Sharmel Bremner and Sheila Gail Ivings.Eddie had lived in the Oklahoma City area for almost 30 years. He also had lived in Fort Smith, Ark., for seven years and was currently residing in Cullman with his wife Marquita. Ed was a veteran of the Vietnam war and Desert Storm and was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Cullman, Ala., Post 2214. Four of his grandchildren also served in the U.S. military forces or are currently serving. These include Marc Douglas, veteran of Desert Storm, Jenna Bailey, currently serving in the U.S. Navy, Corpus Christi, Jessica Bailey, U.S. Navy stationed on the USS Chaffee in Pearl Harbor and Justin Henderson, currently in Texas Air National Guard, Fort Worth. Ed also retired from OU Medical as registered nurse employed there for 20 years.He was preceded in death by his parents; a grandson, Brian Wayne McGehee.Survivors include his wife, Col. (Select) Marquita Pearl Johnson-Bailey of Cullman; four sons, Keith Alan (Julie0 Bailey of Kentucky, Michael David (Bonnie) Bailey of Oklahoma City, Marc Douglas (Kyla) McGehee of Houston and Frederic Wayne (Karen) McGehee of Tulsa; two daughters, Shandrah Sharmel (Willam) Bremner of Fort Smith, Ark., and Sheila Gail (Bryce) Ivings of Bradenton, Fla.; six grandsons; five granddaughters; a great-granddaughter; a brother, Lloyd “Sam” (Patti) Bailey of South Padre Island, Texas; several nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.Pallbearers will be Brice Ivings, Gary Garland, Blake Garland, Hobie Horn, Jeff Horn and Johnnie Taylor, and the Sheppard Air Force Base Honor Guard.Honorary pallbearers will be members of the 137th Medical Group of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Visitation was Sunday.Condolences may be sent to www.alexanderfuneralhome.org.