Thomas Bailie

Thomas Bailie

March 10, 1943 - January 4, 2024

Richland, Washington - Thomas (Tom) Lee Bailie of Mesa, Washington, passed away peacefully at Kadlec Hospital on January 4th, 2024. He was 76 years old.

Tom was born on March 10th, 1947, in Pasco, WA, to Maynard (Dick) and Laura Lee Bailie. He attended local schools, including Connell High School, and graduated from Pasco High School in 1965.

Tom lived with his family and siblings on a farm north of Pasco. His family were farmers and cattle ranchers; his mother also raised ponies. Childhood on the farm was busy and full of adventure; he helped with all of the things that farmers do, and it kept him busy and taught him life lessons.

In 1972, he married Linda Pickett of Pasco; they were married for 47 years before her passing in 2019. They adopted and raised four children: To malin, Zackary, Meggin, and Tamsyn. They were great parents and very active in their children's lives. Life in the Bailie household was very busy with sports, school, and animal projects. The family loved their dogs, too; they had many different dogs over the years and were treated like one of the kids! Some of their greatest family outings were trips to the Oregon beach, which they took every year. Tom was a farmer and cattle rancher during those years and managed to do custom work for his father and cousins; he was a very skilled potato digger operator and skilled with many other types of equipment.

Tom was involved in many things in his life. Some would say he had the gift of gab and could talk about anything. He got involved in the early 80s in the Hanford Down winders project. Tom was very passionate about what he saw as a cover-up of the radiation releases from the nearby nuclear plant and the resulting cancer-related diseases that seemed to plague his neighbors. He would show up on the news and in the newspapers regularly. Connie Chung even interviewed him for a national news story. It didn't make him popular with some people, but he felt obligated to tell the story. Tom ran for state Senator in 1984. He didn't win, but it gave him a new view of Olympia politics, and he became a lobbyist for several years. Tom was a world traveler and loved visiting Korea. He loved Korean food!

Tom spent the last years since Linda's passing living in their house on Russell Road. He loved to drive around talking to old friends and visiting his favorite restaurants. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago, but it didn't stop his inquisitive mind and interest in the news and life in general. He loved his two Airedale dogs and visiting his family, and of course, he loved to talk to people on his phone! He will be deeply missed!

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Dick & Laura Lee Bailie, his wife Linda Bailie, and his daughter Meggin Bailie (in 2003). He is survived by his sisters, Mary Pink Reeve (Mike)and Suzie Bailie, and brother Terry Bailie (Jodi), daughters Jill Bailie, Tomalin Bailie (Andy Wallace), Tamsyn Bailie, and his son Zackary Bailie. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren.

A graveside memorial will be on February 10th at 1 pm at Mueller's Funeral Home in Kennewick, WA. Flowers can be delivered to the funeral home the day before the memorial, or in lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Tom's honor.