Memorial Endowment Honors Kelley and Mary Bailey
Norma Bailey Muller donates $40,000, honors parents' memory with NFC scholarship
MADISON, FL - The Kelley and Mary (Lucas) Bailey Memorial Endowment was started with
a generous $40,000 donation to the North Florida College Foundation by Kelley and
Mary’s daughter Norma Bailey Muller in December. The endowment will benefit first-generation
college students from Hamilton, Jefferson or Madison counties and will award its first
scholarship in January 2021.
Norma graduated with honors, summa cum laude, from then North Florida Junior College in 1967. She now resides in Pensacola. “Our alumni are key to helping current NFC students reach their goals,” said Judy Lundell, Director of Resource Development at NFC. “We appreciate this generous donation and join Mrs. Muller in honoring the memory of her parents by supporting the education of future students.”
Mary was born in Lamont in 1920 to Solomon David and Bessie (Ward) Lucas. She attended school in Aucilla where she graduated at the top of her class. She was happily married for 65 years to Kelley R. Bailey who predeceased her in death, passing away in November 2005 at the age of 85. Mary passed away Sept. 13, 2019 at the age of 99.
Mary lived for many years in Madison County where she retired from Winn-Dixie as head cashier. After retirement, she and Kelley moved to Jasper.
Growing up in the Great Depression, Mary could not afford to attend college, but she was a wonderful role model for her daughter, valuing education and women's rights, and teaching compassion and tolerance for others. She was a committed Christian who lived her faith through acts of kindness, always putting others first.
Kelley retired from the maintenance department of the Madison County school system and served two terms on the Board of County Commissioners in Madison County. He was a former member of First Baptist Church in Madison and a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Jasper.
For more information, contact the NFC Foundation at 850-973-9414 or Foundation@nfc.edu.
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