Nancy Bailey

Nancy Deisch Bailey left us Sunday morning, July 19. She is survived by husband Donald Jay, Children Donald Jay II (JJ), Dany Jo Bailey-Olsson (KeeKee) and DeeAnn J. Bailey-Ristine, and grandchildren Lt. (USAF) Stephen Jay Bailey and Angela Dolores Bailey. Nancy was born in Peru, Indiana October 18, 1934. She was extremely active in Peru High School. She was Secretary of her class and was elected Rodeo Queen in her senior year. In college at Indiana State University she was President of her Chi Omega sorority chapter and was the University Homecoming Queen in 1956, the year she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. She and Don were married March 30, 1958. They both performed as flyers on the flying trapeze for the Peru Amateur Circus sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Peru had been the Winter home of several major circuses through 1937 and the Chamber revived the tradition by starting the Amateur circus in 1959. Don and Nancy built the flying trapeze rigging with 2 friends and performed on it for 2 years. Both were also active in Little Theater. Nancy was President of the local chapter of the Indiana sorority Tri Kappa. Upon moving to Lincoln, Illinois in 1966 she was preoccupied with raising three young children but still found time to act in Little Theater and sing in the Presbyterian Church choir. In 1969 the family moved to Pennsylvania. Nancy taught Art in Phoenixville and was a substitute teacher for several years. Her artistic forte was making silver jewelry, in addition to oil painting. She loved to fly and got her Private Pilot license in 1975. She also loved to travel and got to go to Egypt because that was a pre-marriage campaign promise from Don. They also got to many other countries world-wide. They had a time-share in the Bahamas and spent many weeks there over the years. In 1997 they built a hangar home in the Spruce Creek Fly-In Community, just South of Daytona Beach, Florida and Wintered there from November through April. Nancy was dubbed "Saint Nancy" (for tolerating her husband Don) and was loved by all, far and wide. She will be cremated. The family will welcome friends to visit with them and honor her memory at the Flyer's Roost on the Pottstown-Limerick Airport grounds at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 25.

Nancy Bailey

October 18, 1934 - July 19, 2009