Roger James Derwent Bailey

Roger J.D. Bailey

July 27, 1934 - Aug 26, 2023

We sadly announce that Roger J.D. Bailey has passed, surrounded by family and friends after a short stay in Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Roger was often referred to as a gentleman. He was a music man and a fun-loving person with a quick sense of humor. He was 89 years old and lived a long and interesting life.

Roger was born in Cheshire, England on July 27, 1934, the son of William Bailey of England and Alma Bailey of Manitoba, Canada. He was the third son and fourth-born of five. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to a small country village called Hampton-in-Arden. The Village is in the county of Warwickshire, 100 miles north of London. As a very young lad,

Roger settled in beautifully to the nearby grammar school, and he happily rode his bike through the countryside to get there. He soon joined the "boys choir" at the 1200 year-old Norman Anglican church in the Village. Roger took to music immediately, and it would remain a defining love of his life.

In 1946, Alma being Canadian, the family decided return to Canada. They lived there prior to the birth of Roger and had always been eager to return. They settled in Oak Bay, Victoria, B.C. Roger was 12 years old.

He soon joined the Victoria "boys band". He purchased a clarinet and was soon ready to march with it. Over time he learned two wind instruments, the flute and saxophone, and he never missed his daily practice. He enjoyed this pursuit, working hard to march in parades and perform in many stage performances, until he was 85 years old. He also entertained his many friends as a skilled guitarist, banjo player and singer.

After high school, Roger completed a five-year commerce degree at UBC; shortly after that he joined the management department of Safeguard Business Systems. He worked there for his entire career, until his retirement.

He loved Vancouver - sailing and skiing were his pastimes on the coast. He became a member of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club soon after moving to Vancouver after University. There, he made great life-long friends with whom he had many legendary sailing adventures.

After retiring, he volunteered to tutor reading to disabled adults, who had never learned to read. He found this interesting and rewarding and enjoyed getting to know his students well.

Roger was a great traveler; he crossed the Atlantic Ocean three times by ship to get to the UK. He toured Europe, and visited Australia and New Zealand, to name a few. He was also a pretty good cook and gardener. He always took care of these tasks in his retirement.

Roger had two children, Torr and Inge, and two grandchildren from Inge, Finley and Charlie. He had two marriages - the second, to Carol. Roger and Carol moved to Nanaimo shortly after their wedding and lived happily together until his passing. Roger will be sorely missed by all his family and friends.

Plans are underway to host a celebration of life in the summer of 2024 with his large extended family.