Joellen S. Bailey

Joellen S Bailey, 83 of Odenton Maryland passed away, Wednesday October 20, 2021, in her home with family by her side.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Beall Funeral Home, 6512 Crain Highway, Bowie, MD 20715 Wednesday October 27, 2021.  A private internment will take place at the Maryland Veteran’s Cemetery located in Crownsville, Maryland tofollow.  In lieu of flowers the family has requested donations be made to the Hospice of Chesapeake.

Joellen was born February 9^th 1938 in Washington DC and grew up in Bladensburg, Maryland. She attended Bladensburg High School and is preceded in death by her mother, Agnes Schweitzer and father Paul. On November 2^nd 1957 she married Russell Fay Bailey.  After he returned from Vietnam in 1964, they settled in the Washington D.C. suburbs. 

Joellen spent 35 years working for the Prince Georges County School system as a bus driver, During her tenure, she safely transported thousands of children throughout the county, made countless trips to the District of Columbia on school fieldtrips, navigated inclement weather, spent hours stuck in traffic, and endured many spirited Friday afternoon trips,  without having a single accident.

In retirement Joellen and Russ enjoyed traveling. They took trips to Alaska, Arkansas, and Montana, just to name a few. No matter the destination many of those trips were supplemented with stops at the local casinos. Joellen loved playing cards, specifically poker, and no matter where or whom she played with, she always enjoyed hearing the response from her competitor “I Fold” She heard this often.

When not traveling she often enjoyed sports of all types. Joellen and Russ spent hours either at the games or watching on TV. Their two favorites teams were the Redskins and Washington Nationals. They both attended two Super Bowls and one World Series game.

Above all, Joellen’s greatest joy was her family. She was the very proud mother of three boys, nine grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Later in life her bus driving skills were put back to use as she was often recruited to transport one or more of her grand kids to either a sporting or school event. And when it came to grandparents day both Joellen and Russ were widely known by the teachers and schools they visited.  

She is survived by her sister Joy, her three sons; John (Mary Beth) of Stevensville, MD, Jason (Bridgitte) of Stevensville, MD, Joseph (Jenny) of Abingdon, MD, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her husband Russell, her brother James, her sister Jean, and her brother John.