MICHAEL "SKIPPY" RAY BAILEY

MICHAEL RAY "SKIPPY" BAILEY, 66 OF CENTRAILA , KANSAS PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY IN HIS HOME ON AUGUST 6TH, 2026 SURROUNDED BY THE PEOPLE WHO LOVED HIM THE MOST. MICHAEL IS PRECEEDED IN DEATH BY HIS INFANT SON NATHAN BAILEY, HIS PARENTS VICTOR BAILEY AND PATRICIA (WAGNER) STRADER, HIS GRANDPARENTS ORVILLE AND LELA BAILEY, HADLEY AND GRACE WAGNER. MICHAEL IS SURVIVED BY LISA ALLEN OF THE HOME, HIS CHILDREN MISTY COLE, JASON BAILEY, CHRISTINE BAILEY AND LACEY GORMAN, 17 GRAND CHILDREN AND 9 GREAT GRAND CHILDREN, HIS SISTER CAROL BAILEY AND HIS BROTHERS ALAN AND JANE BAILEY, DOUG AND LISA BAILEY.

MICHAEL WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 15TH 1959 IN CLAYCENTER KANSAS AND GREW UP IN THE SABETHA, SENECA AND FAIRVIEW AREAS OF NORTH EAST KANSAS. SKIPPY DEVOTED 35 YEARS TO KOCH & COMPANY, WHERE HE WAS RESPECTED FOR HIS DEDICATION, STEADY AND RELIABLE PRESENCE, MACHANICAL SKILLS, HIS ABILITY TO MENTOR JUNIOR EMPLOYEES, SKIPPY AND MANY WHO WORKED WITH HIM CONSIDERED EACH OTHER TO BE EXTENDED FAMILY NOT JUST CO-WORKERS. SKIPPY ALSO SERVED HIS COMMUNITY PROUDLY AS A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHT, STORM SPOTTER AND EMT FOR MANY YEARS, ALWAYS READY TO HELP ANYONE WHO WAS IN NEED.

BORN WITH A SPARK THAT NEVER DIMMED, SKIPPY SPENT HIS LIFE BRINGING JOY, LAUGHTER, AND A LITTLE BIT OF MISCHIEF EVERYWHERE HE WENT. FROM THE MOMENT HE OPENED HIS EYES TO THE MOMENT HE CLOSED THEM FOR THE FINAL TIME, HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS COMICAL ANTICS, HIS HUMOR AND THE WAY HE COULD MAKE ANYONE SMILE. HE LOVED WORKING WITH HIS HANDS; HE ENJOYED WOODWORKING, GARDENING, TINKERING WITH HIS VEHICLES. HE HAS A DEEP LOVE FOR ADVENTURE AND THE OUTDOORS, SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY. ABOVE ALL ELSEFAMILY WAS SKIPPY'S WHOLE WORLD. IF SKIPPY EVER TOLD YOU "I LOVE YOU", YOU BETTER TAKE IT TO THE BANK, HE MEANT IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF HIS HEART. THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE LISA ALLEN, STOOD BY HIS SIDE THROUGH THE DIFFERENT CHAPTERS OF HIS LIFE WHEN HE NEEDED HER THE MOST. HE WAS A PROUD FATHER TO MISTY COLE, JASON BAILEY, CHRISTINE BAILEY AND LACEY GORMAN, EACH OF WHOM CARRIES HIS HUMOR, HIS STRENGTH, DETRMINATION AND HIS LOVE TO CARRY FORWARD.

HE LEAVES BEHIND A LARGE AND DEVOTED CIRCLE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO WILL FOREVER CHERISH HIS LAUGHTER, STORIES AND THE WAY HE MADE LIFE BRIGHTER JUST BY BEING IN IT. HE WAS TRULY ONE OF A KIND---THE MOST AMAZING MAN REMEMBERED ALWAYS AND LOVED FOREVER.

MICHAEL'S CREMATION WILL BE PROVIDED BY ANGELS ABOVE CREMATION SERVICES AND A CELEBRATION OF LIFE WILL ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE.