Raymond Estes Bailey

Raymond Estes Bailey was born on May 21, 1928, in Cross Keys, South Carolina and his spirit ascended into Paradise in the early morning hours of February 19, 2025. He was 96 years old. Oral history of our family said that he was born in an old slave shack on a relative’s farm. History has him being brought into this world during the “Roaring Twenties” when prosperity was booming in America, but not in the Bailey family in rural South Carolina. The year Raymond was born saw the first “talking” motion pictures, the invention of penicillin, and the first appearance of Mickey Mouse on the big screen. Unfortunately, the Great Depression followed in 1929, and life was tough on the Bailey family for the next 12 years.

Raymond’s father, Jesse Franklin Bailey, was a laborer, tenant farmer, school bus driver (he built his own school bus on a Ford Model T frame), gardener and hunter. He did whatever was necessary to keep his family fed. Raymond was the third child, with two older sisters and one younger sister. As a young boy he and his oldest sister would tap dance to entertain family and friends. The whole family was musical, and Raymond learned to play the guitar quite well. He made good use of that talent throughout his adult life playing in local clubs in New Jersey in a Country & Western band (yes, wearing a cowboy hat and the whole outfit). He idolized Chet Atkins, an exceptionally talented professional guitarist.

Raymond dressed well while attending Cross Anchor, SC High School, often wearing a tie and sporting a “Rhett Butler” mustache. After graduation he pursued marrying his high school sweetheart, Earleen Louise Greene. They were married in 1947 and lived faithfully together until Earleen passed away in 2021 at age 90. They were married for 73 years. Raymond had various jobs. He delivered furniture for a while, worked in a ball bearing factory during WWII while serving in the US Navy Reserves, sold Cushman scooters (he and Earleen would ride one around those rural country roads), and finally found his true calling when he applied to be an apprenticeship electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union. He had a real talent for electrical work and was a quick study. When it came time to advance to be a Journeyman electrician in the Union, Raymond took the exam and aced it. No one had done that before – ever – so naturally those giving the test thought that he must have cheated. They gave him some oral questions to further test him and he answered all of them correctly. He was awarded his Journeyman’s license and his career took off. He became a sought-after Master Electrician who worked on building power plants, large industrial buildings, atomic energy reactors, new buildings being constructed at Princeton University and many other construction sites in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Delaware and Virginia.

Raymond was healthy throughout life and was even still driving his car until 8 months before his passing. He was preceded in death by his parents Jesse and Coleen Bailey, and his sisters Frances, Alice and Marie. He is survived by his two sons, Robert Estes Bailey (76 years old, married to Barbara Hightower), and Ricky Earl Bailey (68 years old, single), both of whom reside in North Chesterfield, Virginia. Raymond also is survived by four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Raymond will be cremated, and a memorial service will be held at a later date.