Bailey Elizabeth Wilpitz

Bailey Elizabeth (Jones) Wilpitz passed away on the evening of Tuesday, November 5, four months shy of her 34th birthday. Just weeks before, she was orchestrating a grand landscaping project, meeting with her church youth group, and keeping up with all her dear local friendships. In any health, she loved being with her three daughters and had dealt with cancer for a few years, giving them many good, normal, and special times to grow together and enjoy all who they were becoming.
Born to Janet (née Rhodes) and Teddy G. Jones one Texas spring day on March 8, 1991, she was the second of three children. Bailey attended Second Baptist School, graduating with many awards, including National Merit Scholar, a near-perfect SAT score, and other marks of intelligence-not to mention a creative talent for drawing and painting. She was active in her youth group and kept a few first-rate, top-notch friends-herself loyal, kind, and witty-"weird, but cool." She then set off for college close to home-Texas A&M University-where she first met Joel Wilpitz. He was completely fascinated with her and was very social, while she was wary and nervous of all boys. But both Bailey and Joel would become true soul friends. As her biochemistry and genetics studies began, so grew a mutual trust and best friendship with Joel. By junior year, she could not imagine a life without him in it, and they trusted God to sustain their love.
They married right out of college, prompting a move to Boston for his new job in corporate tax, and very soon welcomed their first daughter, Natalie. They then moved to Utrecht, the Netherlands, and welcomed a second daughter, Kate. After four years of many wonderful Dutch times, they repatriated via Chicago, where they welcomed their third daughter, Lucy, a light in the time of COVID. Soon, God provided a better job in a better city, and they moved yet again, this time to wonderful Louisville, KY. Bailey loved the deciduous and evergreen trees, the creeks and hills, the casual kindness, the art fairs, and the incredible community. Tongue in cheek, she once said, "I could die here."
Shortly after the move, she learned she had a rare cancer called PSTT. God sustained her and the family through treatments, uncertainty, and weakness, and kept the cancer in strict and mysterious bounds, giving Bailey many growing times of sadness as well as many joyful days in her beloved role as a stay-at-home mom. The last three years were some of her best-something about facing death and being loved and loving her family was a euphoric way to live. She was very encouraged by Psalms 48 and 90-God as her dwelling place and everlasting Father.
She was also delighted by her three girls-the most incredible little women and real-life gifts. Joel was always a gift, and together they witnessed so much, a Shining Barrier, a dream come true of love and friendship. He was always brave and loving and always gentle while she caught up to real life. Their marriage, cut short by death, will always be a confusing gut punch of sadness-they expected to be able to be with each other for life-that was the deal. But God loves them, is near them in their distance from each other, and authored the whole love of and redemption of souls, so we trust Him.
Preceding her in death were her three grandparents: Col. William Allen Jones, Martin Rhodes, and Dorothy Lee Jones.
She is survived by her husband Joel; her three daughters Natalie, Kate, and Lucy; her siblings Parker and Mckinzie; along with their young families; her parents, Janet Lynn Jones and Teddy Glen Jones; and her grandmother, Fran McKinzie Rhodes.
A visitation will be held at: Sojourn East on Saturday, November 9th from 6-8 PM EST. A funeral service will be held at: Sojourn East on Sunday, November 10th at 3:30 PM EST.
She is with God, as she has always been, and we can praise God while we mourn.
Acts 17 says, "We are here so we might seek Him, find Him, and know Him."