Sharis E. Bailey

It is with sorrow that we share the passing of Sharis Elaine Bourdeaux Bailey, age 78, of Janesville, who went home to be with the Lord on October 16, 2025, at Nazareth Health and Rehabilitation Center in Stoughton, Wisconsin, with her son John by her side.
Sharis was born on August 27, 1947, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Douglas and Beatrice (Witt) Bourdeaux. She graduated from Beloit Memorial High School in 1965.
Sharis lived a life marked by generosity, commitment, and deep devotion to her family and faith. She was known for her warm smile, her love of conversation, and her eagerness to help anyone in need. She was an active member of several local churches throughout her life, including People's Church, Central Christian Church, and most recently, attended Bethel Church.
From a young age, Sharis had a heart for children and a gift for teaching. She served as Sunday School Coordinator at People's Church for several years, sharing her faith and kindness with countless young lives. Professionally, she worked at Freeman Shoes and the Beloit Daily News before joining the University of Wisconsin–Extension Nutrition Program, where she served as a Senior Administrative Specialist for 29 years until her retirement in 2011. Her favorite part of the job was teaching nutrition to children in local schools, a role that brought her great joy.
Sharis was a devoted mother and grandmother. For the first 11 years of her son John's life, she raised him as a single mother before marrying Robin Bailey Sr. and becoming a loving stepmother to his four sons and one daughter. She cherished her big family, always ready to cook, host, and fill her home with warmth and laughter.
Her greatest joy came from being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Nothing made her light up more than seeing a little grandchild running toward her with open arms.
Sharis is survived by her son, John (Erika) Bourdeaux; stepchildren, Bret (Janelle) Bailey, Todd (Sue) Bailey, Robin Bailey Jr, Brooklyn Bailey, and Carrie (Phil) Knepper; grandchildren, Elijah, Selah, Isabelah, Karson, Karmen (Michael), Jacob (Alexis), Heather (Nicholas), Mitchell, Hannah, Drue (Matthew), Alyssa, Dawson, Caden, Maya, and Reagan; nine great-grandchildren; sisters, Linnea (Dennis) Fischer and Denise Bourdeaux; nieces, Sarah (Dennis) Feiten and Allison (Patrick) Wrodarczyk; nephews Matthew (Jessica) Fischer and Steven Russell; two great nieces and two great nephews and many dear friends who will forever cherish her memory.
A Funeral service for Sharis will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, 2025 at Bethel Church, 3300 Mount Zion Ave, Janesville, WI. A private family graveside service will be held in Floral Lawn Cemetery, South Beloit, IL. Visitation of remembrance will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service in the church.
A special thank you to the staff at Nazareth Health and Rehabilitation Center in Stoughton. You were the nursing home we had been praying for. Rose, Sue, Julie, Miriam, Dennis, and the entire staff treated my mom like family, with such love and compassion.
We would also like to thank Matthew and the team at Agrace for the kindness, tenderness, and dignity you showed my mom during her final months.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Sharis Bailey's name to Agrace, 5395 E Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711 Or given online at http://www.agrace.org/donate Or to Nazareth Heath and Rehabilitation Center, 814 Jackson Street, Stoughton, WI 53589. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sharis E. Bailey, please visit our floral store.