Frank Barrett Bailey

Frank Barrett Bailey, 84, of Murrayville, Georgia passed away on September 6, 2020 at Northeast Georgia Medical Center of natural causes.

He was born December 25, 1935 in Canton, Georgia, the only child of Frank Eugene Bailey and Mozelle (Broadwater) Bailey.

He married Dellaraye Cannon of Resaca, Georgia on August 31, 1958. Together they built a loving household and raised four very successful children. He is best remembered as a father, leader and educator.

He worked at IBM for 32 years. Some of the highlights of his career at IBM include:

-        IBM System Engineer at Delta Airlines – design and installation of the first nationwide reservations and operations management system for a major US air carrier (Deltamatic); an upgrade to the SABRE system of American Airlines

-        IBM System Engineer at Lockheed – design and installation of manufacturing management systems for aircraft

-      IBM System Engineer at BNY Mellon Bank – migration of bank systems; establish cross country communication between branches in New York City, Miami and Atlanta

-        IBM Advanced Education, Senior Instructor – design and deliver entry level education curriculum to new hires on IBM Advanced Communications Products; visiting instructor at IBM Systems Research Institute (SRI) in New York City; visiting instructor for the US Army Communications Command (CECOM), Fort Huachuca, AZ

-        IBM Expert Legal Witness, Memorex and Sanders cases – defending IBM and conducting depositions in high profile anti-trust cases involving advanced telecommunications technologies

After IBM, he opened a plant nursery business, Mountainview Gardens, in Murrayville, Georgia. He was locally renowned for his intimate knowledge of indigenous plants. Customers would seek him out to design their gardens to be as “deer-resistant” as possible. He completely enjoyed educating his clients through personal interactions including the famous “scratch-and-sniff” tour of his gardens.

He graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelors of Industrial Management. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as Ensign in the US Navy where he served for 4 years before joining IBM. He was stationed on the USS Cambria, USS Wisconsin, and at the Pentagon. His duties included running the firing solutions for the 16-inch guns of the USS Wisconsin as well as Ships’ Payroll all on the first ever onboard digital computer (IBM701).  He was honorably discharged as Lieutenant Junior Grade. Previously, he attended Bass High School in Atlanta, Georgia.

He volunteered for many years with Boy Scouts of America as Assistant Scout Master for Troop 103 in Atlanta, Georgia sponsored by Clairmont Hills Baptist Church and Scout Master for Troop 494 sponsored by Dunwoody Baptist Church. He was a fine Scout Master who took seriously the role he had in the maturity and development of young men, including his sons. He loved camping and made sure there was something that every scout could learn with each event he planned. He achieved the “BSA Wood Badge” Leadership Award. He helped shape boys into responsible men.

He was a lifelong learner whose range of knowledge was extensive and eclectic. He encouraged and imparted that love of learning to his children. Many family meals included fact checking sessions using the Webster Dictionary and Encyclopedia Britannica. He was a lover of classical music with an uncanny ability to remember the composer within the first few opening phrases.

He was an excellent father and teacher who enjoyed taking leadership roles in his children’s activities: Scout Master, Soccer Coach, Stage Manager, etc.

He is survived by his wife Dellaraye and 4 children, Frank Austin, Christopher (Chris), Jason, and Melissa. He has 7 living grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents and one grandchild.

Private services will be held at a later date. Memories and condolences may be shared at http://www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com/ .