John W. "Jay" Bailey Jr.

John W. (Jay) Bailey, Jr., 84, entered the arms of his Savior and Lord Jesus Christ on the morning of November 28, 2022, after a full and blessed life. Jay’s devotion to his family, love for his friends, and long years of service to many in Knoxville were a testimony to the love of God impacting the world through a life dedicated to loving God and serving others. Jay was best known for being a kind and gentle man in the way he loved his family and friends and in the way he expressed that love through selfless acts of generosity and service. Jay was in the printing business for over forty years, first as the president of Keith Press, Inc. then in printing sales for several firms, including Business Graphics Services until his retirement in 2014. But it was his life of service to the people of Knoxville and East Tennessee where Jay was best known. Jay and his wife Martha were active supporters of Knoxville Young Life and served on the Knoxville Young Life Committee for many decades. Believing love was best shown through action, Jay served as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Concord then Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church. Jay was also on the Board of Directors and Chairman of the board for SOAR (now Thrive Lonsdale) for many years. Active members of the Emmaus Sunday School class at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, he and Martha were blessed with many decades-long friendships. Jay was also known for his service to the Knoxville Rotary Club and Rotary International. An active member of the Downtown Knoxville Club, he served as its president and as the District Governor of Rotary District 6780. He wholeheartedly believed in Rotary’s objective of encouraging service as a basis for fostering goodwill and friendships around the world, and he worked tirelessly to promote the community and international service projects funded through the Rotary Foundation. Jay will be most missed for his steadfast love of family and friends. A loving spouse, father, grandfather, and friend, he was a role model for the people in his life through his steady loving presence and occasional witty remark. Jay believed that the love of God could be trusted to carry him through the trials of life and he relied on that love each day. Jay was the son of the late John and Tacoma Bailey of Knoxville. He is preceded in death by Martha, his wife of 58 years, and is survived by his sons, Jim (and Sloan) Bailey, Keith (and Andrea) Bailey, and Steve (and Mary) Bailey; grandchildren, Hunter Bailey, Savannah (and Casey) Bishop, Philip (and Erin) Bailey, Anna Katherine Bailey, Ruth Ellen (and Trevor) Gunter, Jonathan Bailey, and Elizabeth Bailey; and sisters-in-law Linda Collette Nichols and MaryJane (and Mark) Ashley. The family will have a celebration of life service at the Rose Funeral & Cremation - Mann, 6200 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919, with receiving of friends at 3 p.m. and the service at 4:00 on Sunday, December 4. Jay will be buried in a private ceremony. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be given to the Campership Fund of Knoxville Young Life (www.knoxville.younglife.org) OR The Rotary Foundation (www.rotary.org/en/donate) in his honor.

Tributes

John W. "Jay" Bailey Jr.

March 21, 1938 - November 28, 2022