Ken Bailey

RICHMOND, Ind. - Kenneth James Bailey, age 82, of Richmond, Indiana, died Friday, May 1, 2020, peacefully surrounded by family at home. Ken was born in South Bend, IN on December 19, 1937, to Walter and Beulah Wolf Bailey. He was a 1956 graduate of Niles High School in Niles, MI. Ken attended the University of Notre Dame for two years, completing the requirements for certification in electrical engineering. He worked at Bendix Missile in Mishawaka, IN for four years on the Talos Missile Project. In May 1962, Ken moved to Richmond to work at Avco on the Minuteman Missile Project. (In 2016 he visited the Minuteman Missile National Historic site in South Dakota, and finally saw what the completed missile looked like in a silo.) Ken married Carrie Elizabeth "Liz" Fields on September 22, 1962, at Emmaus Lutheran Church in South Bend, IN. They lived in Richmond, residing in the Hidden Valley neighborhood for 47 years. In 1973, Ken went to work at Hilling Moving and Storage as Operations Manager. He and Liz eventually became owners of the business. They were owners of Hilling Moving and Storage/Richmond North American for over 35 years, retiring in 2015. Ken was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church for 57 years, Richmond Rotary Club, Old Trails Rifle and Pistol Club, Studebaker Drivers Club, and Cub Scout Pack 115 as a former Cubmaster and Den Leader. He collected four Studebakers, Studebaker and South Bend pocket watches, and antique clocks, and made stained glass windows. Ken enjoyed travel, including visiting 49 states, two US Territories, Canada, Mexico, multiple Caribbean islands, England, and France. He visited Alaska (his 49th state) this past August. After his diagnosis of Parkinson's, Ken was active for four years with the Reid Rock Steady Boxing program. Ken was an incredibly good man, a brilliant man, who worked hard from his early youth until well after nearly anyone else would have retired. He studied engineering at Notre Dame for a couple of years before having to leave to earn money, did a stint as an artilleryman in the Army, worked on the Talos and Minuteman nuclear missile programs, drove semis across the country moving furniture for almost fifty years, and raised two boys and several dogs and cats. Ken never worried about what he could have been doing, but did whatever he was doing to the best of his ability. Whether moving a priceless piece of furniture or the grubbiest piece of junk, Ken always took equal care of the possessions of each customer. He took his young children on trips every summer in the semi. Many of the states they visited for the first time were visited in that semi. The music of the late-1970s and early 1980s bring back memories of those trips and often specific places. The family also went camping in many different states during fall and spring breaks. Ken made the lives of those around him better. Ken is survived by his wife of nearly 58 years, Liz; sons, Andrew and Thomas P. (Emma); grandchildren, Jacob, Joshua, Max, Madeline, and Thomas E.; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; nieces; nephews; cousins; and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings and their spouses, Roy Harold (Alice) Bailey, Harry (Wanda) Bailey, Betty (Jack) Rieder, and Howard (Jean) Bailey and; and one nephew, Doug. Due to the COVID-19 situation, services will be private, with the Rev. Charles Miller officiating. Burial will be at "Bailey's Corner" in Earlham Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by Doan and Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 121 S. 18th Street, Richmond, IN 47374; Help the Animals, Inc., P.O. Box 117, Richmond, IN 47375; Reid Rock Steady Boxing, 2021 Chester Blvd., Richmond, IN 47374; or Reid Foundation for the Hospice Program, 1100 Reid Parkway, Richmond, IN 47374. The family wishes to thank the nurses of Reid Hospice, especially Julie, for their care and compassion during Ken's last week at home. We also wish to thank Drs. Bode and Olson for their care and Matthew at Reid Rock Steady Boxing for his dedication to helping patients with Parkinson's lead more active lives. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com.

Ken Bailey

December 19, 1937 - May 1, 2020