Edward M. Bailey

Edward Marcus (Buddy) Bailey, 84, of Harlingen, Texas, died Thursday, January 3, 2019, at Good Samaritan Care Center, Cole Camp.  He was born on May 2, 1934, in Itasca, Texas, a son of Ruel and Maydel (Coleman) Bailey.

He attended school in Itasca before joining the  United States Air Force, where he served his country honorably from 1959-1963 as an aircraft mechanic.  While stationed at the Harlingen Air Force Base, he attended the First Baptist Church in Combes, Texas, where he met his future wife, Lois Richardson.

On May 10, 1957, at First Baptist Church in Combes, Texas, he was united in marriage to Lois Marie Richardson.  This union was blessed with the gift of two children, Celeste and Dean.  After his honorable discharge from the service, the family relocated to central Texas for a time, living outside of Fort Worth while he worked for Central Freightline.

In 1959, Buddy began working for Southwestern Bell Telephone in Harlingen, where the family then settled  and raised their children.  In 1991, he retired from the telephone company.  Shortly after his retirement, his son Dean died from Leukemia in 1994 and he and Lois adopted their grandchildren, Crystal, Marcus, and Cody.  After Crystal married in 2001 and his wife died unexpectedly from a heart attack in 2002, he was left to raise the boys.

Buddy enjoyed hunting and working outdoors and remained active most of his life.  He spent time in Missouri with his companion of many years, Patricia Dierker, who along with his daughter Celeste, was with him when he passed away.

He is survived by:  two daughters, Celeste Price and JW Watson of Harlingen, Texas, and Crystal Sabado and her husband James of Pleasanton, Texas; two sons, Marcus Bailey and his wife Sulema of Harlingen, Texas, and Cody Bailey and his wife Chesney of San Antonio, Texas; his dear friend, Patricia Dierker of Cole Camp, Missouri;  ten grandchildren, Kenneth D. Price III (Misty), Desiree Farias (Bobby), Shalimir Eaton (Zach), Tristan Shane Price (Hayley), Nicole Watson (Luis),  CJ Sabado, Cheyenne Sabado, Hunter Bailey, CarrieAnne Bailey, and Jacob Bailey; and great-grandchildren, Cierra Lumbreras, Alaynah Farias, Ryan Farias, Kylie Price, Abigail Price, Zoey Eaton, Annika Farias, Gavin Price, and Aine Easton.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruel and Maydel Bailey, his wife of 45 years, Lois Marie Bailey, his son, William Dean Bailey, and his brother, Roland Wayne Bailey.

The family will receive friends from 2 - 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at the Fox Funeral Home in Cole Camp, Missouri.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019, at First Baptist Church in Combes, Texas.  Burial will be in Harlingen-Combes Cemetery in Combes, Texas, with military honors.

The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at Buck Ashcraft Funeral Home, Harlingen, Texas.