Ronnie Lee Bailey

Ronnie passed away on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. He was born on April 3, 1951 in Trenton, New Jersey. He is survived by his wife of 50 years Alberta Bailey (Canton, GA), daughter Ann Bailey and her husband Doug Stine (Atlanta, GA), son Daniel Bailey (Canton, GA), dog Fred, brother Roger Bailey (Lakeland FL), and many brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and friends. Ronnie was preceded in death by his father, Randolph Bailey, mother, Madge Bailey, brothers, Randy ”Buckshot” Bailey, and William “Billy” Selby.

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way… Who is Ronnie?

Ronnie lived for fishing, old western reruns, classic country music, making ridiculous jokes and rooting for WVU like his life depended on it. He married the most amazing woman he could find, he was her high school sweetheart, on June 28, 1973. They bounced around a bit… Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Colorado and finally settling back in Georgia in 1994. They had two kids, a few pets, and a lot of adventures along the way. He spent his days welding or plumbing. His weekends went from creating chaos with his brothers in the hollers, to doting on his wife, to being the best dad he didn't have. Weekend mall trips, skating rinks, getting lost in Atlanta because they just had to go somewhere. He even got to see WVU win the Champs Sports Bowl in 2010, live and in person.

His kids were his pride and joy. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, orthodontist appointments, field trips, room dad, you name it, he wanted to be there if he could. In Colorado Springs, they lived a handful of houses away from the elementary school. Ronnie was known for greeting the neighborhood kids as they walked to and from school, sometimes with a super soaker, or joining in on field trips. He walked his kids to school every morning, or dropped them off at daycare. We all secretly know he was bummed that the kids rode a bus when the family moved to Acworth. He cried tears of pride as they hit major life milestones.

Ronnie may have been ornery with a rough, gruff exterior… but he was the most sensitive man. You could make him cry at the drop of a hat. He loved animals, and that's really where you could pull at the heartstrings. He and Alberta’s first baby was a beagle, Britches. He talked about that dog like Dolly Parton sings about Cracker Jack. He loved dogs, it's a toss up if Fred or Paisley make the number one spot. However, we know that Max, Brewster and Igor round out that list. He loved Fluffy too, and once spent weeks searching for him behind a pet store after he got loose.

The peak, the highlight, the thing that made his big blue eyes sparkle… Alberta… or ‘Bert’ as he’d endearingly call her.. His love for her would fill a room. She was perfect, an angel. He never quite understood how he, Ronnie, could have won her over. As he tells it, he met her at church. His aunt had dragged him there, hungover from the night before. She was smitten, and he’d spend the rest of his life being her knight in shining armor and her biggest cheerleader.

Ronnie was also a teller of tales and loved jokes. Some tales may have had a grain of truth, and damn were they good ones. Ranging from running moonshine for his uncle, to trying to get a bed in the jail because they had color TVs, or the time he claims a scorpion bit him… causing him to crash his motorcycle into his truck… on Christmas Eve. We all heard the crash, but never saw the scorpion. He loved to tell jokes, or play practical jokes. His favorite joke was to lock the windows and fart something rancid. He thought that was the funniest prank to play on anyone he had trapped. He was always happy to tell a story, a joke or play practical jokes when he got his family and friends together for a cookout.

It all changed in 2015 when things took a turn. But he lived for years after they said he wouldn't wake up from a coma. He was a bad patient, but his doctors and nurses loved his personality. Let's not focus on the bad stuff… but all the good he had in that time. Ronnie and Alberta had their dream home built in Canton, with a beautiful mountain view. He watched his daughter get married and obtain an MBA. He also watched his son attend college, tech school, work, and assist his mother in caring for him. Ronnie got to send his brother Billy off in style, casino trips, be a groomsman in his brother-in-law Carl’s wedding, got his bulldog Fred, and spent eight and a half more beautiful years with Bert. He was happy and always helped others in any way he could.

Ronnie will be greatly missed by those who love him. His laugh and little smirks will be burned into memories, and his love into hearts. If there is an afterlife, he's hanging out around some 1960’s muscle car with Billy, Buckshot, Britches and Brewster… waiting (very patiently) on the day he can woo Alberta again.

Ronnie will be cremated after a private family viewing on Monday February 5th and a celebration of life will be held on his 73rd birthday, April 3, 2024. Details to come. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to go to any of the following: American Kidney Foundation, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, or American Heart Association.