Michael Bailey

Michael Aaron Bailey passed away on June 1, 2020 at his home in Boise, Idaho, from Pancreatic
cancer. Mike was born February 14, 1949 in Puyallup, Washington to Kermit Minor Bailey and Lotus
Gail Corp Bailey. He was the third of seven boys born to this union. He was joined later by two halfbrothers
and finally a half-sister, when his Mother married Neal Westfall. They were later divorced and
his Mother married Carl Nielsen. Michael and his brothers grew up in Olympia, Washington and when
he was 12 years old the family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He spent lots of good times with all his
brothers and lots of time out at Lake Mead when he got his boat. He eventually moved to Greeley,
Colorado working as a bartender and working in a mechanic’s shop to fulfill his love of cars and
owning lots of cars! He then moved to Evanston, Wyoming to work in the oilfields. Oh the stories of
the cold, the fun the trips to New York in company vehicles! Mike then decided that he did not want to
work in the cold any more, so he packed up and went back to Olympia, Washington to help his Dad
work on his motor home. Mike then decided to move down to Homedale, Idaho to live with his Mom
and step-father Carl Nielsen. Mike went to work J.C. Watson Company in Homedale in the fertilizer
plant. In December 1985, Mike married Vicky Molt. To this union they had 2 children, Brian, born in
1986 and Ashley in 1989. He then moved over to the produce side of J.C. Watson Company for
several years. He then went to work for Simplot Trucking which is now Trebar Kenworth in Caldwell,
as a diesel mechanic. He also worked for G&B Redi-Mix in Nampa as a mechanic, but they used to
send him out in a truck to job sites delivering concrete and he hated it-- he was not a truck driver when
he wanted to be mechanic. He had the opportunity to work closer to home, and he went to work for the
brand new golf course going in on the river, River Bend Golf Course. We moved to the house on the
hill near Wilder and it allowed him to be able to be available for the kids and to help get the kids to and
from school. Mike worked at River Bend for over 20 years and made lots of lasting friendships. One of
the best accomplishments for Mike was after the shop was built, was Brian was getting a Demolition
Derby car ready for 4th of July and we ended up having 4 demolition derby cars in there, being worked
on by Brian and his friends. We never knew who we would find sleeping on the floor in the living
room. Mike was so proud that he helped make that happen. In the fall of 2015, in order to get Mike to
retire due to declining health and for Vicky to be closer to work in downtown Boise, we moved to
Boise. It was a major change, and we missed our view of the Owyhee mountains. Mike helped take
care of our oldest grand-daughter Thyme when she was with Ashley and they were very close. He and
Ashley were two peas in a pod! Many times I would come home from work and they would be talking
“shop” about what to use to clean this floor or how someone else had cleaned something. The
janitorial business owner was always there, just not working. He was able to make a last elk hunting
trip in October of 2019, but having sustained a fall while in camp, he spent more time in the hospital in
McCall or the trailer at Elk camp, than hunting, besides it was very cold and he hated the cold weather.
Mike was predeceased by his father, Kermit Bailey, his mother, Lotus Nielsen, his step-father Carl
Nielsen, his oldest brother Steve Bailey and his father in law Glenn Molt. He is survived by his wife
Vicky of Boise, Idaho, son Brian and his wife Laura of Nyssa, Oregon, and daughter Ashley of Boise,
Idaho. He is survived by his siblings, Doug and wife Theresa, Medical Lake, Washington, Chris and
wife Deborah, Nampa, Idaho, Kermit (Kerm), Greeley, Colorado, Mark and Song Min, Tumwater,
Washington, and Scott, Las Vegas, Nevada, sister in law, Gracie, of San Antonio, Texas, Patrick and
wife Lee of Post Falls, Idaho, Loren and wife Tina of Veneta, Oregon and Theri and husband, David
King, of Boise, Idaho. Also surviving are step-father Neal Westfall and Dottie Silani of Klamath Falls,
Oregon, and his step-mother Elly Bailey of Olympia, Washington. He has six grand kids that were the
light of his life. Thyme-11, Skyler-10, Faith-9, Conner-7, Liam (Murphy)-5 and Erica-3. Mike wishes
that he could have been there to go when his grand kids went on their first deer or elk hunts, but he was
just too sick.
Mike has requested no services, but at a later date we may hold a scattering of the ashes in the
mountains that he so loved. To quote his favorite quote that tells how his life was, it was not always
good, and not always bad, he was “Happy, Happy, Happy.”

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Michael Bailey, please visit our floral store.