Obituary of Joseph B. Bailey, Jr.

Joseph Benjamin “Dickey” Bailey, Jr. entered this world on October 18, 1940, born to the Rev. Dr. Joseph Benjamin and Willie Mae (Sloan) Bailey, Sr. in Greenville (Freetown) South Carolina. He was their beloved only son who would soon make a mark on this world. He accepted Christ as his personal Savior at an early age and was baptized at Friendship Baptist Church in Greenville. Because he was the son of a preacher, he was always involved in the life of the church. He graduated from Sterling High School in Greenville, SC in 1959. During his high school years, he ran track, was the water boy for the football team, and drove the school bus. He was a part of the track team that won the state championship in the 4 x 4 Relay. “Dickey” had become very popular. He enjoyed socializing and was always the life of the party. His father and mother believed in hard work. He could be found working in the family dry cleaning business delivering and organizing customer’s clothes and waiting on customers. Another one of his chores was to go out to the “old house” and feed the pigs. However, he declared to himself that he was not going to walk over a mile to feed the pigs. He decided, instead, to throw the pig slop on the side of the road and go to grandma’s (who lived next door). One day his mother went to see the pigs and saw that they were so skinny that you could see the ribs. So, she decided to follow him the next day and saw what he what he was doing. That was the end of his days of feeding the pigs. He grew up in the Civil Rights era. One of the experiences that shaped his perspective on human rights was when as a young boy, he and some of his friends were chased through Freetown by a gang of boys who wanted to castrate them. As a result, he had a permanent scar on his back from when he tried to jump a fence to escape them. His desire to be involved in civil rights movement started early when he witnessed the murder of his cousin Jimmy in Greenville. Joseph started his college life at Howard University and finished at Benedict College in Columbia, SC in 1964. In 1963, while at Benedict, he pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in the Epsilon Epsilon chapter. As a student, he worked for Zack Weston, Head of Publicity at Benedict. This role gave him the opportunity to travel with Mr. Weston, who was also a member of Omega Psi Phi. While matriculating at Benedict, he met lifelong friends who he stayed in contact with until his death. During his college years, he became more active in the civil rights movement in the south. He could be seen actively marching and protesting the inequality of “colored” people. He was jailed several times while being a part of the movement. Years later, he and several protestors (including Congressman James Clyburn) were honored by having a statue dedicated to them in Columbia SC. In August of 1964, he was drafted into the US Army. He was originally scheduled to go to Vietnam. But then his father prayed… and his orders were changed from Vietnam to Germany, where he served as a Medic. After his tour in Germany, he returned to Philadelphia where he became an outstanding social worker. He received a Master of Social Work from Temple University (PA) and Master’s in Public Administration from Nova University (Florida). His social work career spanned over 50 years. He held a variety of roles including social service administration and delivery to a variety of populations. His passion for people and his social work skills enabled him to be able to help his clients find solutions. In 1968, at Cheyney University’s homecoming, he met the woman who would become the love of his life, Merrill-Jean Terry. After a whirlwind courtship, they were married by the Rev. Dr. James S. Hall at the Triumph Baptist Church in Philadelphia on March 15, 1969. The Bailey’s home was always a place where people felt welcomed and were fed. To this union, two daughters were born: Lisa, who died at birth, and Tatia Leonne Bailey. Tatia became the love of his life. He would take her with him almost everywhere he went. He was her protector, and she became a ‘Daddy’s girl’. In the 1970’s, the Bailey’s relocated to Willingboro NJ. They later joined Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington in 1978. Joseph was a member at Tabernacle until he passed. Over the years, you could find him involved in different aspects the church. For example, Christian Education, and program development. He enjoyed attending the Men’s retreats with his roommate Deacon Benjamin Whipple. You could also see him at different Baptist events locally and nationally supporting his wife. Being a member of Omega Psi Phi was extremely important to him. He could never talk about Omega without slipping in the conversation somewhere that he was “Omega Psi Phi til the day I die!” Throughout his life, he was also an active member in the Mu Omega (Philadelphia, PA) chapter. In later years, he became affiliated with the Nu Nu chapter (Willingboro, NJ). During the recent pandemic, he received the Basileus Award for Service (Nu Nu) and was on the 75 th Anniversary committee for his birth chapter, Epsilon Epsilon (Benedict College). Joseph transitioned from this life to the next on Saturday, November 5, 2022, in the early morning hours with his wife by his side. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. Dr. Joseph B. and Willie Mae Bailey; two sisters, Jacqueline B. Rainey and Hildegarde B. Rose; and ten uncles and one aunt. He leaves to cherish his memory: his wife of over 50 years, Merrill-Jean; a devoted daughter, Tatia; one sister, Peggy B. Lewis; nephews and nieces – Bearen (Pam), Jeffrey, Ferdinand, Calista (Phillip), and Terri (Selvine); a host of great nieces and nephews; the loving Bailey cousins; and many long-time friends, including Capt. Pinkney Mosely, Col. Clifford Hill, Sr, Rev. Leroy McNair, and Jerome Wright.