[Oe List ...] Celebrating the completed life of Bill Bailey

[via OE]

I have been thinking of Bill since we heard from Lynn.  Thank you, Lynn, for 
letting us all know.  This is a great set of memories.

I want to add my first real experience of Bill Bailey.  In the Assignment 
Committee decided to transfer Ken and me and our boys from Portland, Maine 
to Amarillo, Texas in the summer of 1973.  When we packed up and went to 
Chicago we met a small convoy that would take us to St. Louis, Oklahoma City 
(where Bill and Marianna were assigned) and we trundled on to Amarillo.  The 
culture shock was amazing.  Bill was kind enough in the midst of all he had 
to do in OKC to gather us in over the next few months to talk with us and 
help us adjust to our new environment and we are still very grateful for his 
caring for us during a (very) difficult transition.  We thank both Marianna 
and Bill for their care for us.  P.S.  We had a great celebration in Europe 
when Oklahoma went gold with 100 town meetings.
Clare Whitney

-----Original Message----- 
From: Marilyn Crocker via OE
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2017 6:12 PM
To: 'Marianna Bailey' ; 'Order Ecumenical Community'
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Celebrating the completed life of Bill Bailey

Dear Lynn,

Thank you so very much for letting us all know about your beloved Dad's
passing on to join the Community of Saints.  Joe and I hold you, your Mom,
Nan, Maria, Billy, Julia and Tom in our hearts tonight with deep love and
admiration for the strong image of "missional family" you have always
represented -- whether under assignment together or working in separate
places.

This letter is meant for you all.

When your parents agreed to take on a critical leadership role in Majuro, we
became Nan's guardians in the NYRH (first in Patterson, NJ, then in
Manhattan -- a 3 year journey when Nan was then in high school).  Your Dad
returned to the US briefly during this time, and led House Church one Sunday
in Patterson.  He was introduced as "Nan's Dad", to which Jon and Ben, then
3 years old and very attached to Nan said, in toddler shock and utter
disbelief, "But we thought OUR Dad was Nan's Dad!"  So we have felt forever
connected in love and appreciation to the Bill Bailey family.

Your family (Bill, Marianna, Lynn, Nan, Tom)  somehow, despite
understandable pain and angst, were able to embrace the radical shift from
being a pastor's family in comfortable suburbia, to moving to the
then-ghetto of Fifth City as part of an experimental religious order, to
sharing your gifts of leadership in remote villages and big cities across
the world -- AND -- to not ever lose your commitment to extended family
(including Nan's grandma with whom she always stayed in touch) or its
unusual call to service.

All of that and far more (as the family expanded) is the legacy of Bill
Bailey, his beautiful wife, Marianna, and his three terrific offspring --
and their enriching effects to planet earth and its inhabitants will be felt
directly and indirectly for many more decades.

We send you our love and prayers of thanksgiving for being YOU!

Marilyn and Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: OE [mailto:oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Marianna
Bailey via OE
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2017 1:28 PM
To: Order Ecumenical Community
Subject: [Oe List ...] Celebrating the completed life of Bill Bailey

This is Bill and Marianna's daughter, Lynn. I want to let you know that Dad
completed his life early this morning with his family by his side. We love
him and will miss him dearly.

Grace and Peace,

Lynn

Sent from my iPhone
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