Freda M. Bailey's Obituary
BAILEY, Freda M., age 92, of Waynesville, passed away Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Ohio Living Quaker Heights in Waynesville.
Freda graduated from Zanesville High School in the early part of the 1950s.
Always warm hearted, Freda had a caring, compassionate, and loving personality in a humble and soft spoken demeanor. She greatly enjoyed flower gardening, reading, and spending time with her family, especially the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Earlier in her life, Freda and her husband owned a home that backed up to the Sycamore Creek Country Club. Freda used the backdrop, and her love of flower gardening, to create a beautiful floral landscape. Her favorite flowers were daylillies and hostas, which she planted in abundance along the picturesque pathways leading from her back patio to hole number four of the golf club. Her favorite reading material included crime and mystery novels, which extended to the type of movie and shows she preferred to watch as well.
Freda enjoyed traveling with her husband in their well-equipped RV, which became one of her favorite traditions. In addition to visiting Texas in the RV on several times to visit family, they traveled out west on multiple occassions to enjoy the scenery and warm weather that the southwestern states and California provided. Always fond of making her family feel loved, Freda hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas for many years. The tradition of her making the holidays special have provided some of her family’s greatest memories. Among many things, she will be remembered for how proud she was of her daughters and grandchildren. In addition, she will also be remembered for how proud she was of her husband, especially in regard to him being a pilot. When Gary died last year, they had been married for 70 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gary; one daughter, Debbie McKeehan; and her parents, John and Marjorie Lashley. She is survived by one daughter, Cindy (Mark) Poff; four grandchildren, Scott (Jen) McKeehan, Amy (James) Welch, Eric (Lauren) Poff, and Adam (Chelsea) Poff; six great-grandchildren, Elizabeth, Katie, Parker, Christopher, Grayson, and Savannah; and her son-in-law, Mark McKeehan.
A combined celebration of life service for Freda and Gary will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, August 16 at Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home in Waynesville. The family will receive friends from Noon to 2 PM on Saturday at the funeral home. At the conclusion of the services at the funeral home, family and friends will be invited to travel out to Red Steward Airfield in Waynesville to scatter the cremated remains via airplane (weather dependent). If desired, contributions may be made to the Quaker Heights Nursing Home “residents’ activities fund.” Condolences at www.stubbsconner.com.
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