Mrs. Hatch (Yvonne) Bailey

Authored by Hatch Bailey

Yvonne's spirit is in the presence of God. Her body died peacefully at home due to complications of Melanoma (skin cancer) on June 5, 2007. Yvonne's `What a Wonderful World' outlook and determination to live life to the full was truly an inspiration to our family and friends. She knew her time on earth was limited, yet she remained strong and vibrant. I don't mind saying that I'm down right proud of Yvonne for her consistent high spirits, optimism, and fearlessness. She remained my bright ray of sunshine! She was immensely comforted by the unwavering assurance that God was ultimately in complete control of everything, and that He held her hand as she journeyed through the valley of the shadow of death.

Yvonne's body will lie in state at the funeral home until a couple of hours before the funeral. Should you go by, you shall find a register there for you to sign. There will be one at our family home (in Hidden Valley) and at the funeral as well. You are cordially invited to join our family as we congregate publicly, to mourn her death, celebrate her life, and worship God. We'll meet at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 9, 2007 in The First Baptist Church of Waco Sanctuary located at 5th & Webster Ave. Interment will immediately follow in the beautiful historic Oakwood Cemetery where she will be buried next to her father. Then, you are welcome, with open arms, into our home for a brief time of warm fellowship. (Directions will be made available at the cemetery.) Knowing Yvonne, you'll not be surprised that children (no matter how young) are welcome to attend her funeral. If the dear little ones cry out a little during the service, we'll just smile! If they cry a lot, we'll appreciate your taking that as your cue to excuse yourself, and we'll know you were there by your signature in the Register.

Honorary Pallbearers (in alphabetical order) will be Larry Beeson of Highlands Ranch, CO, President of The Leaders Network, representing `the Greats' in Funeral Service – my chosen profession / Susan Key DeWitt of Waco, one of my best lifelong friends and one of Yvonne’s bridesmaids, representing all of our closest personal (years-long) friends / Patti Irons of Katy, TX, one of Yvonne’s best friends from Baylor – who’s been like a sister to Yvonne, representing all of our closest out of town friends / Steve Sellers of Houston, one of Yvonne’s close friends from Baylor, representing all of her friends from college / Harvey Spark of Waco, Yvonne’s employer and close friend, representing all those in the medical profession who have lovingly cared for her / Suzanne Starr of Waco, one of Yvonne’s closest friends from church, representing all of our closest personal (more recently made) friends / and Grant Teaff of Waco, our Sunday School teacher, representing all who answer the call to ministry and have ministered to Yvonne throughout her life.

Active Pallbearers (in alphabetical order) will be Billy Bailey, a student at The University of Alabama and son of my brother and sister-in-law, Roy and Tina / Boyd Bailey of Washington, D.C., son of my brother and sister-in-law, Wes and Rebecca / Bill Comstock of Oklahoma City, a great friend whose wife, Janie, is so much like a sister to me, when they married in Maui, I `gave her away' / Brad Crawford of Plano, a great supporter of mine whose wife, Alison, is a dear (years-long) friend of Yvonne’s / Trammell Kelly of Waco, one of my best lifelong friends / Bill Irons of Katy, TX, a great friend whose wife, Patti, was like a sister to Yvonne / Johnny Mankin, a great friend of Yvonne’s, a neighbor and her fishin buddy / and David Parrish of Southlake, TX, a great friend whose wife, Karen, is a close lifelong friend of Yvonne's.

‘Graveside Attendants’ will be our four sons who will lovingly receive their mother’s respectfully casketed remains, for burial. She requested their involvement, in that sacred place, and of course, the boys graciously agreed to honor her wish.

Officiants and musicians occupy sentimental places in our hearts. Unfortunately, time wouldn’t allow for them to be engaged for Yvonne’s funeral in time for their names to be included in this obituary. For this, I appologize.

Yvonne was born April 14, 1960 to Bernice and Bobby Mize in Amory, Mississippi and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas when she was five years old. She was their only child, and her parents provided beautifully for her. (I'm talking about the important things in life; the kind of things money can't buy.) Yvonne was baptized when she was eight years old and was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock. While in the seventh grade, she sold more magazine subscriptions than anyone else in the entire school. She graduated from Little Rock Central High School, a large historic public school, where she enjoyed being a cheerleader. She came to Waco in the fall of 1978 to enter Baylor University where she joined the Chi Omega Sorority, and we met on the very first day of school. We became fast friends, and ultimately best friends, even before we had our first `real' date. I credit my sister-in-law's father (Rebecca's father) with ‘planting the seed’. You see, Yvonne used to baby-sit for Wes and Rebecca's children, and that's how she met Rebecca's dad, Judge Boyd from Amarillo. Not knowing that Yvonne and I knew one another, he told me that he had just the girl for me. And he was right!

We were married in The First Baptist Church of Waco where our four sons are the fifth generation of my family to be members (starting with the Wilkirsons). The date was July 23, 1983. (We were married over half our lives!) She had just earned her Masters degree, with honors, in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Baylor University. She gave birth to our first son almost

continued...