George Rufus Bailey, 84, of Tifton died Sunday, August 2, 2009, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2009, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. Dr. Wayne Roe and Dr. W. Ches Smith, III will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Harold Bailey, Jack Bailey, Adam McMillan, David McMillan, Greg Sheppard and Don Maxey will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Lamar Branch Sunday School Class of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. Bailey was born on February 26, 1925 in Roanoke, Virginia and was the son of William Reed Bailey and Rosa Akers Bailey, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by his step-mother, Lila Akers Bailey and one brother, William Robert Bailey. For 40 years, he owned and operated Bailey Tifton Tire Company. He was a United States Navy veteran of World War II and a member of Tifton’s First Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon as well as in various positions of service throughout the years. He held a weekly worship service at Golden Living Center and had a laminating ministry where he laminated articles from the Tifton Gazette such as births, obituaries, weddings, anniversaries, awards and other items of personal interest and sent them to the family, including a Bible scripture on each of them.
Mr. Bailey was a former Tifton City Commissioner and served as Vice-Mayor of Tifton. He was instrumental in bringing the Bloodmobile to Tifton and organized and taught Dale Carnegie courses throughout Georgia for several years. He was an active member in several civic organizations throughout the years.
Mr. Bailey is survived by his wife of 63 years, Teele Dryden Bailey of Tifton; three daughters and two sons-in-law, Gina and David McMillan of Tifton and Jan and Greg Sheppard of Tifton, and Judy Maxey of Atlanta; two brothers and one sister-in-law, Jack and Bobbie Bailey of Tifton and Harold Bailey of Tifton; one sister and brother-in-law, Freda and Bill Abell of Albany; one step-sister and her husband, Lila Lee and Ben Jordan of Jacksonville, Florida; and seven grandchildren and their spouses, Ashley McMillan Cunningham and her husband, Chris, of London, England, Ashton Flynt of Porterdale, Ansley Flynt of Vacaville, California, Adam McMillan of Athens, Allison Flynt of Tifton, Lindsey Maxey Henderson and her husband, Matthew, of Guam and Melissa Maxey of Atlanta.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to Forward in Faith Building Fund of Tifton’s First Baptist Church.