Betty and Tom Bailey celebrating Tom’s 90th birthday. A party, hosted by his sons, was held in his honor on March 28 at the Hampton Inn in Goodyear, Ariz.
Tom Bailey, married 69–plus years to Betty, was feted at a 90th birthday celebration hosted by their three sons, Tom and Steve from northern California and middle son Doug, a resident of PebbleCreek.
Tom was born and grew up in Atlantic, Iowa, attended the University of Iowa where he met and dated Betty, married her in September 1956, then graduated in 1959 with a degree in Civil Engineering specializing in sanitary and environmental engineering. After a short stint in the Army, Tom and his growing family moved to northern California where he worked for the Department of Water Resources followed by the Water Resources Control Board. A two-year hiatus from working for the State of California took him and Betty to the Yemen Arab Republic where he supervised a consulting team working with the Yemen National Water and Sewage Authority to install and maintain water and sewer systems. Returning to Sacramento, he once again worked for the State of California supervising their hazardous waste cleanup program (Superfund). After five years in this stressful position, he left public service to work for Kleinfelder Associates as a regional vice-president. He later started his own consulting business focusing on hazardous waste cleanup issues.
With plans for retirement in process, he was asked by a company contracted to USAID to work once again in the Middle East, this time in Gaza. Over a two-year period, he and Betty lived in Gaza City. Tom had three responsibilities while there: he supervised the reconstruction of Gaza’s water and wastewater systems, assisted in designing a new wastewater treatment plant and managed the construction of a reverse osmosis water treatment system, a stand-by power generation facility and two 1,200–cubic–meter elevated water storage towers.
Tom and Betty moved from Gaza to PebbleCreek (PC) in 1998 where Tom remains active to “not let the old man in.” He has been president of PC Bocce Association, Ballroom Dance Club, and the PC Wine Club. He plays golf three times a week in the No Name group, being the only remaining original member. Additionally, he continues to participate in Wine Club activities, bocce, and enjoys playing cards and table games. This August he and Betty will be taking their three sons plus wives on a wine focused river cruise on the Rhone River in France; pre-cruise they will visit Nice and post-cruise they will spend four days in Geneva to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary.