Memorials
| Publication year | 2015 |
| Pages | 0070 |
| Citation | Vol. 76 No. 1 Pg. 0070 |
Gordon Freeborn Bailey, Jr.
Lois Gwenett Hillestad DaGian
Thomas Reed Robinson
Gordon Freeborn Bailey, Jr.
Gordon Freeborn Bailey, Jr. ("Chips"), accomplished attorney, beloved family man and friend, passed away peacefully at his home in Atlanta on November 5 after a courageous yearlong battle with cancer. He was 70.
Mr. Bailey, son of Gordon Freeborn Bailey, Sr. and Carridelle Gordon Bailey, was born July 24, 1944 in Huntsville. He grew up in Mobile, and graduated from Murphy High School in 1962. In 1966, he graduated from Birmingham-Southern College where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (social fraternity) and Omicron Delta Kappa (honorary) and editor of Southern Accent (college yearbook). In 1967, he married Elizabeth Anne Paulk, to whom he would remain happily married for the rest of his life (more than 47 years). He graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1969, after which he served as a captain in the U.S. Army JAG Corps in Washington, DC, from 1969-1973. He then returned to Alabama to practice law in Anniston, where he and Anne raised their children and lived for 34 years before moving to Atlanta in 2007.
During his distinguished legal career, Mr. Bailey was recognized at the local, state and national levels for his work in family law. As an original member of the Alabama Child Support Enforcement Committee, he co-authored the Alabama Uniform Parentage Act of 1984. He was a past president of the Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association (ERICSA), served as president of the ERICSA in 1986 and served on its board, including as an honorary life member for close to 25 years. He served as chair of the Family Law Section of the Alabama State Bar and of the Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on Child Support Guidelines and Enforcement.
In 2002, the Alabama Child Support Association established the Gordon F. Bailey, Jr. "Attorney of the Year Award" honoring him for his more than 25 years of service. In 2006, he was named Lawyer of the Year by the Family Law Section of the Alabama State Bar. In 2008, he received the Gewin Award for his ongoing commitment to continuing legal education.
Mr. Bailey loved life and was known for his trademark positive disposition and outlook. He loved being around people and making them smile and laugh. He enjoyed life's simple pleasures and was a great storyteller. He loved convertibles, jukeboxes, bowties, swimming pools, boats and the beach. His favorite movie was "Seems Like Old Times." He loved music, especially rock-and-roll beginning with the "golden oldies" of the 1950s and 1960s. He played trumpet, piano and guitar and joined his first band while in high school. Throughout his life, he loved to play his guitar and sing for others, especially his children and grandchildren. On Christmas mornings, he woke up his kids by playing "Reveille" on his trumpet. He loved sports. He played tennis with his own unique style and was known around Anniston for his wicked slice forehand. He loved basketball and especially enjoyed "March Madness" tournament games of which he attended many with his family. He loved football and was a dedicated, lifelong fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide. (His conversations from August to January were primarily about Crimson Tide football.) Most of all, he loved his family and was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather.
Mr. Bailey is survived by family members who will miss him dearly, including his beloved wife, Anne Paulk Bailey; children Gordon Freeborn Bailey, III (Lynn), Edward Clark Bailey (Gaby) and Allison Bailey Clarke (Caleb); grandchildren Cecilia, Fiona, Palmer, Virginia Cate, Paige, Alex, Dutch, Mia and Bettie; and sister Martha Bailey Hightower (Tommy). Donations may be made to the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Atlanta or Gordon F. Bailey Law Fund, University of Alabama School of Law, Attn: Candice Robbins, Box S703S2, Tuscaloosa 35487. "Great man, loved people, lived life!"
—Published in...
To continue reading
Request your trial