July 11, 1932 – March 11, 2023

Julia Marie Gray Bailey is right where she has been wanting to be for quite some time now.  Saturday, March 11, 2023, Julia, “M’rie,” Mom, Moma, Grandmother, Gammo,  Ammo went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As she had desired, she spent her last days surrounded by her children and favorite daughters-in-law, rehashing old stories, laughing about the proverbial, and never-ending “I’m the favorite…”, singing beloved hymns and just being present. While praising the Lord that she is no longer in her failing body, her absence will leave a massive void.

Julia Marie Gray was born to Rubie Creighton Gillespie Gray and Wilbur Paul Gray in Shreveport, La., July 1932. Raised in Waskom, Texas, she attended and graduated from Waskom Public Schools. She was very active in First Baptist Church of Waskom and made her profession of faith when she was 11 years old. “It was a Sunday night, I felt it in my heart that I was a sinner and went down to the front of the church and repented of my sins and won the victory!”  Shortly after, she was baptized by immersion in a baptistry that was built beneath the floor. It was while she was attending East Texas Baptist College in Marshall, Texas, that her love of bible study began.  Her faith in Jesus Christ was her strong foundation and carried her through her 90.5 years. She believed with all her heart that there is only one Way to salvation – “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). She lived her life as a joyful testimony of God’s goodness, faithfulness, mercy and grace.  

Julia’s college years took her from ETBC to Baylor to Washington State graduating in Speech and English.  Not certain what she wanted to do, she moved with her aunt and uncle to Biloxi, MS to help take care of their three children, and began teaching music in an elementary school there.  It was in Biloxi that Julia met the love of her life, 2nd Lt George Bailey.  Three whirlwind months later they were married on Jan. 30, 1954.  At the end of February 1954, George received his deployment orders to Korea, so Julia moved back to Waskom for the year of his absence. When he returned in April 1955, George took a civil engineering job in Lake Charles and there Julia took a job teaching 7th grade Math and Science at LaGrange Jr High until she started having children in 1956.

Over the years Julia was active in her church, Trinity Baptist Church and later Sales Street Baptist and FBC Covington. She enjoyed many years in Christian Women’s Club and served as president for a time. Bowling, tennis, traveling with her beloved George, and their daughter, Jugy and visiting with children and grandchildren were some of her favorite pastimes. She was an avid reader. Many weekends were spent with her growing family at The Camp in Caddo. At the tender age of 81 she parachuted out of a perfectly good airplane to the rejoicing, walker-waving arms of her George waiting below.  In her later years at Christwood Retirement Community, she loved playing pickleball and Hand and Foot Cards with her friends there. An amazing mother, Julia was also a jewel of a mother-in-law. She adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as much as they adored her. She will be remembered for her passionate faith, her love and nonjudgmental manner, her daring and willingness to join in the fun and her ability to just be present.

Julia was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, George Vincent Bailey Sr.; her parents,  Wilbur and Rubie Gray; sister, Pauline Gray Belt; and great-granddaughter, Julia Claire Bailey.  Left to cherish her memory are her three children, Vince Bailey (Ann) of Jennings, La.,  Julia Bailey McCarthy (Jim) of Ponchatoula, La., and Gray Bailey (Beth) of Prairieville, La.; nine grandchildren, Joel Bailey (Krystle), Ashley McCarthy Cagle (Payton), Daniel Bailey (Anne), Michael McCarthy (Lindsey), Rachel McCarthy, Annalia Bailey Gilmer (Caleb), Madeline Bailey, Gray Bailey, and Lexi Bailey Scarborough (Michael); and 18 great-grandchildren.

At Julia’s request, a celebration of life party for her family was held at the Big Lake camp of Vince and Ann Bailey on April 22, 2023.

In lieu of flowers, if you desire, donations may be made to Samaritans Purse or Smile Train.