Janice Bailey

Janice Bailey, 91. Our beloved mother and sister was called to her eternal resting place on Sunday, November 10, 2024. She is survived by her three daughters, Jody Woody (husband Clay), Michelle MacDonald (husband David) and Cindy Krauss (Friend Rick Kruger). She is also survived by sisters, Carol Cox and Diane Barrett of Albuquerque; and brother, Richard Lippert of Florida.

Janice entered our world on Thursday, January 26, 1933, in Buffalo, New York; born to parents Cecilia and Joseph Lippert. She was the second of six children. She grew up in Hamburg right by Lake Erie. She often talked about going to bonfires at the firehouse down the road with friends and drinking hot chocolate during the cold winter eves. While in grade school and junior high, WWII was on everyone's mind. Jan said that they used to get let out of school early to help sew blankets and other items needed by our soldiers overseas. The whole community stepped in to support the troops in any way possible. Janice's high school years were spent attending Immaculata Academy, a Catholic school from which she graduated in 1951, and where she also had the honor of serving as Senior Class President. Janice went directly into nursing school at Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. After graduating, Janice married Alfred Bailey in 1955. They lived in Orchard Park, NY where they raised their three daughters.

Nursing was Jan's life for 54 years, a profession which she was extremely proud to have saying, "I pray that I could leave this life dressed in my nurse's uniform and cap as I have spent my life helping the sick." Working in the ER with baby delivery at Mercy Hospital was her introduction. Later she moved to the West Seneca State School and worked with physically and mentally handicapped children. Janice moved to New Mexico with her three daughters in 1974. Her nursing career continued with work at the Los Lunas Hospital and Training School. Finally, she moved into psych nursing where she remained until her retirement in 2005.

Janice was involved in a number of entrepreneurships during her lifetime. She was a member of the American Business Women's Association for many years and even served as president for one year. While working at West Seneca State School, she developed a plexiglass crib topper to help keep the kids safe when they stood up and bounced around their beds. In New Mexico, she was a distributer for the Folz Vending Company for several years. She opened up and serviced gumball machines in a number of stores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The girls often helped her on her rounds. (Having a garage full of boxes of gumballs was always a hoot for their social life.) Janice also worked for a time to develop and promote prosthetic bras for women who had mastectomies.

What most influenced Janice's life was her faith and her daughters. Janice's years in Catholic schools helped to solidify her already strong religious faith instilled to her by her mother Cecilia. Janice rarely missed a day of church even while on vacations. She prayed the rosary daily. She highly respected and adored the religious life. Janice dutifully directed her three daughters in the ways of the Catholic Christian faith. It was her faith in Jesus and the power of prayer that helped get her through life's tribulations. As a mother, she modeled strength as a woman and a Christian. Her tremendous love was unconditional and unwavering toward her daughters throughout the entirety of her long life.