Leonarda Jean "Lee" Bailey-Karle

LEONARDA "LEE" JEAN BAILEY-KARLE (nee Frost) of Willowick, OH passed away on January 30, 2026. Beloved wife of 34 years to Theodore Karle; beloved mother of James Bailey, John Bailey (Kim), Lori Bailey-Tittley, Nathan Karle and Brennan Karle; loving grandmother of Tyler Bailey, Bailey Graham, Cassandra Tittley, Quinton Bailey, Morgan Bailey, Aidan Bailey, Alexa Bailey, and Angeleah Tittley; dearest daughter of the late Howard and Elizabeth Frost; dear sister of Elizabeth "Liz" Cawthon (Jay); aunt of many nieces and nephews including Bess Tuggle and Ellen Johnson and many extended family.

Lee was a devoted Irish Catholic matriarch whose life revolved around faith, family, and tradition. Family Christmas celebrations, rooted in decades of cherished rituals, were sacred to her, as were the weekly family dinners that anchored everyone together year after year. She was deeply devoted to her children and grandchildren, playing an active role in their lives and offering constant love, support, guidance, and encouragement. For 45 years, Lee proudly owned and operated North Shore Preps (gymnastic school for children), leaving a lasting mark on her community through her commitment to young athletes. She found deep joy in life's simple pleasures: camping, gardening, picnics, inner tubing, beach days, bird watching and road trips, all of which became treasured memories. Lee shared an especially close bond with her mother, Elizabeth (Betty Jane) Frost, her best friend and trusted partner, who lovingly managed the business books. Known for her strong faith, love, warmth, devotion, and ability to bring people together, Lee's legacy of love and togetherness will live on for generations.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Lee's memory to Boys Town https://donors.boystown.org or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate, organizations she faithfully supported through monthly giving, reflecting her lifelong compassion and generosity toward children and families in need.

Funeral Mass Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary Magdalene Church, 32114 Vine St, Willowick, OH 44095. Interment All Souls Cemetery.