- Date Of Birth: February 17, 1950
- Date Of Death: August 15, 2011
- State: Arizona
Bailey, Michael R.
61, of Phoenix, Az. passed away suddenly early Monday morning, August 15th, 2011. He was born Feb. 17, 1950 in Tulsa, Ok. This birth date was the catalyst behind his marriage to his current wife, Vicki, as her daughter, Dori was born on Feb. 17th, as well. Vicki thought to herself, “He can’t be too bad”.
Mike is survived by his wife of 25 years, Vicki, Sister Janice, Brother Gary (Mary Ann), and numerous nieces and nephews. Also Vicki’s daughter, Dori, her husband (also a Michael), and granddaughter, Rivers Marie, who reside in South Dakota.
Michael (Mr. B. to his employees) was a retired business owner of Imperial School Photography, Inc. His company photographed thousands of school pictures from the 1960’s until spring of 2009 when the business closed. He was passionate about making sure the color, pose, etc., was correct for each and every child. In his later years, he edited many of the photographs that were taken, and send back numerous corrections; much to the chagrin of the lab personnel. They looked fine to them, but Mike had an eye for color and wanted every shot to be perfect.
Mike was taught about photography by his father, Robert E. Bailey, previous owner of Imperial. He actually had a darkroom he worked in located in the carport of his parents. That’s where he mastered his craft and came to love capturing the “right shot”.
Mike’s parents brought him and his brother, Gary, to Phoenix when he was 2 yrs. old.
Mike’s quest in life was to entertain others; he had an unusual gift. Anyone who knew Mike remembers him most for his humor, although he was actually somewhat shy due to a “lazy eye”, which he had corrected later in his life. Hardly anyone noticed but him. He always touted his claim to fame was being a member of the Cher Fan Club! Sadly, she never responded to his many letters, not even a signed photograph.
Mike will be missed so much by his loving family. He left us way too soon, and we treasure our time with him.
Memorials: None
