Joseph Ramsey "Joe" Bailey

Joseph "Joe" Ramsey Bailey, 74, an absolute hero to his four beautiful daughters, wife and the families and friends who knew him went peacefully to our Lord on Thursday, March 23, 2017. Joe was born Feb. 12, 1943, to Marguerite Barber Bailey and Hoyt Bailey and raised in Columbia, S.C., where he became an Eagle Scout in 1961, graduated from the University of South Carolina, was a Fighting Gamecock and proud member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Joe joined the U.S. Air Force in 1966 and became an F-4 Phantom Fighter pilot, testing tactical weapons at Eglin Air Force Base in Valparaiso, Fla., before going to the Vietnam War to fly an impressive 202 sorties in that conflict. After active duty, he continued his service in the Air National Guard (Air Guard) working with Aerospace Management Investigation to put crash sites back together and later with Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) where he retired as a safety investigator for their air fleet. Joe opened Bailey's in Arlington Texas, where Texas Monthly named it one if the not the Best Blues Bars in Texas. Upon the pub's sale, Joe and Kay got on their 42-foot cabin cruiser, Ris*Kay II, in League City, Texas, headed to moor the boat in the Florida Keys. Along the way, they discovered the beautiful waters of the Emerald Coast in the panhandle of Florida fondly known as "Their Redneck Riveria." They stayed seven years and lived on Okaloosa Island, Navarre Beach, and Poquito Bayou before coming back to Texas in 2007 to be closer to the parents. The Baileys settled in Granbury in the awesome community called DeCordova Bend Estates to play golf and enjoy life. Joe was greeted in Heaven by his father and mother, Hoyt and Marguerite; and his father-in-law, Tommy Runnels. Survivors: Joe now waits and makes a place for his wife, Kay Runnels Bailey; daughter, Kathie Rogers and husband, Jason; grandson, John Benson, and grandgirl, Emma Rogers; daughter, Kellee Hardy and husband, Eric; grandson, Hagan Hardy and grandgirl, Quinn Hardy; daughter, Katey Lamke and husband, John; grandgirl, Olivia Lamke, and little brother on the way; daughter, Britany Reece and husband, Jake; brother, Jimmy Bailey and wife, Sherry; mother-in-law, Karon Runnels; sister-in-law, Sue Piel and fiance, Mike Deegan; brother-in-law, Ron Runnels and wife, Christi; nephews, Ryan Piel, Cody Piel, Jake Richter, Brian Bailey; nieces, Karri Piel, Breinn Richter, Lindsay Piel, Brooks Hoffmann; and all their families; and his Scotties, Angus and Nessie!