Class Notes DR. OSCAR JERRELL BAILES ’77
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Oscar Jerrell “Jerry” Bailes, D.O. passed away on August 10, 2019. Born in Nettie, WV, on November 21, 1923, Dr. Bailes was the son of the late Worth and Anna (Rock) Bailes. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son Charles Jerrell “Jerry” Bailes, who died at 22 years of age; brothers and a sister and their spouses William Harold and Rosalie Bailes of Proctorville, OH; Floyd Ray and Bertie Bailes of Scott Depot, WV; Oretha Lea (Bailes) and Robert Taylor of Bradley, WV; and Worth Edward Bailes, who died in infancy, and one grandson Jeremy Gray Bailes and two greatgranddaughters Autumn Peace Landreth and Brazen Faith Landreth who died before birth. He was survived by his wife of 73 years Vinita Jean (Holliday) Bailes; daughters and their spouses Cheryl Ann and John Bredeaux and Debora Sue “Suzy” and Phil “Buddy” Fry; and daughter-in-law Debi (Wilson) and Kyle Swim, all of Princeton, WV. He leaves seven grandchildren and their spouses, Leann Landreth of Savannah, GA; Jared and Julie Landreth of Seattle, WA; Lelia Fry of Chicago, IL; Christa (Fry) and Timmy Fama of Princeton, WV; Angel (Bailes) and Patrick Smith of Richland, WA; Tommy and Ashley Swim of Dothan, AL; and Erin (Swim) and Josh Wurzelbacher of Nashville, TN. He leaves great-
RETIRED PHYSICIAN
grandchildren, Sarah, Micah and Adora Landreth; Andrew Fama; Joshua and Matthew Smith; Havailah Swim; and Eli, Gideon, Judah and Noah Wurzelbacher. He leaves four nephews and nieces and their spouses, Willa (Bailes) and John Perdiue of Cincinnati, OH; Robert and Karen Taylor of Cross Junction, VA; James Taylor of Newport News, VA; and Sarah (Bailes) and Kenny Blake of Scott Depot, WV, and sister-in-law Selma Bailes of Scott Depot, WV. Dr. Bailes graduated from Richwood High School, from which he received one of their first Order of the Rings lifetime achievement awards. He attended WV Tech, Marshall University and Concord College before going to the Kansas City College of Osteopathy and Surgery, Kansas City, MO, from which he graduated in 1952. While in Kansas City, he interned at Lakeside Hospital. He returned to Princeton in 1953 to practice in the office started by his in-laws Drs. Charles and Lillie Holliday. Interspersed in his college career were 34 months spent in the US Army in India, Iran and France. He married Jean on May 30, 1946, and they became parents of three fantastic children, Cheryl, Suzy, and Jerry. Jean saw him through WV Tech, Marshall University, Concord College and KCCOS while rearing three children, quite an accomplishment. In addition to his practice, he was president of the West Virginia Society of Osteopathic Medicine in 1958–59 and secretary of the society from 1965 to 1977. A major portion of his job was supervising two education conferences each year. He did the planning but Jean ran the conferences in a smooth manner that made him look good. In 1972, he helped found the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV and was on the staff
FALL 2019 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE
from 1974 to 1976. He resumed his practice in Princeton until July 1977, when he moved to Athens, OH, where he joined the faculty of the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine as Associate Professor. In 1979, he accepted the position of founding Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pamona, CA, where he assembled staff and wrote the curriculum. After nine years he retired and came home. Retirement lasted three months before he opened an office on Stafford Drive in Princeton, WV, where he practiced medicine until 1992 when OSHA issued a two-inch thick notebook of regulations. He decided to retire again, tossed the notebook in the waste basket, locked the door and went home. This one lasted six months until a nurse from Red Bird Mission (a mission of the United Methodist Church in Eastern Kentucky) came by and said, “You aren’t doing anything useful and we need you.” He spent the next three years serving as a physician in Kentucky. He had no opportunity to retire this time for the day after he got home, Dr. Jana Peters invited him to work with her at New Hope Family Practice in Princeton, WV, where he spent over 20 years. He finally retired from practicing medicine at the age of 92. In the fall of 2015, Jean’s health began to fail and by February 2016 she needed full-time assistance. Along with dedicated caregivers Sheila Whitt, Kelly Pennington, Sherry Lester and Khadijah Wahid, he cared for her until his passing. In addition to his medical career, Dr. Bailes was a dedicated servant of God. In 1963, he became affiliated with the All India Prayer Fellowship (an indigenous ministry in India) as a board member. This ministry, through God’s help, has helped lead
