Tommy Bailey

Tommy Frank Bailey was born in Conway AR on June 29, 1954 to Rex Weldon Bailey and Tressie Thelma (Beene) Bailey. His father was a basketball coach so he grew up in various towns in the boothill of MO.. Because of his connection to AR and MO he called himself a MOARK. His mother was a beautician and everywhere they lived she had a small salon in her home.

He had a great singing voice. He played Professor Henry Higgins in his high school’s production of My Fair Lady. He would often perform the scene from that play “Why can’t a woman be more like a man “. If you gave him a piece of music he had never heard; in about 30 minutes he could sing it to you and in tune.

After graduation he joined the Marine Corps. He was the Guide in his platoon and gradated PFC from boot camp. He quickly pinned on LCP and CPL; both were meritorious promotions. By the end of his 4 year hitch he was a Sgt. He left the Corps in 1978 and found his way back to AR where he met his wife, Peggy, in 1979. They married April 12, 1981 and in January 1983 Tommy re-enlisted in the Marines. He came back in as a LCP. By March he picked CPL back up and in Sept he was once again a Sgt; once again through meritorious promotion. In 1988 he received a meritorious promotion to Chief Warrant Officer. In time and grade, he picked up CWO2 and CWO3. His next meritorious promotion came when he picked up LDO Capt... And this was the rank he held when he retired after 20 years (split service) in 1999.

Tommy and Peggy had an old fashioned marriage. She was happy to have him make all the final decisions and he spoiled her each and every day.. They were blessed with three beautiful girls. Cassandra in 1982, Kyla in 1984, and Kazmyn in 1987. He was very much a girl-dad and his girls are still very much daddy‘s girls.

Tommy was raised in a good solid Christian home and there came a time when he wanted to decide whether he was going to be serious about his Christianity or not. He and Peggy made a dedicated study of the Bible to see if they believed it was the truth. When they decided it was, they knew they had to do what it said. Throughout their marriage, they were faithful in their worship, attendance, and telling others about Christ. During their time in Okinawa, Tommy started preaching once a month. On returning to the states, he continued to preach every chance he got. When he retired in 1999 he started preaching at Crossroads church of Christ in Enola Arkansas. During this time he still had a regular weekly job. Once all the girls had graduated and left home, Tommy and Peggy decided to look for a full-time preaching position. They settled on moving to Spur, Texas in 2010. They were there for six years and in 2016 they moved closer to Lubbock. From 2016 to 2020 Tommy was the Dean of Online Studies for Sunset School of Preaching. In 2018, he decided he wanted to get back in the pulpit and became the preacher at the Parkway Drive church of Christ in Lubbock. And in 2020 he left the position at Sunset so he could completely focus on Parkway Drive. He preached there until September 2025.

His cancer diagnosis came in early October, and although he fought valiantly, the cancer was very aggressive. This cancer is related to his time during the Gulf War and breathing the smoke from the oil well fires while his unit was just 14 miles outside Kuwait City. He did not have a tent. He only had a lean-to that came off his Humvee.

Besides spending time with his wife and 3 daughters and telling others about Jesus his third greatest joy was when he was golfing. If you spent any time with him at all, he’d start telling you about his latest game and how his driver or his wedges were doing and what was the latest ball he just had to try out.

He was proceeded in death by his father and his mother. He is survived by his wife, Peggy, as well as his three daughters Cassandra (Gary) Hancock of Wichita Falls, Texas. Kyla (Chad) Knauer of Zephyrhills, Florida and Kazmyn (Jacob) Johannes of Matador, Texas, his grandchildren Paúl, Ronaldo, Max, and Gemma Claire all of Matador. And his two brothers Keith (Rose) Bailey and Eric (Kristy) Bailey.

Tommy is remembered by so many around the world and all the places were he and Peggy were ever stationed. He will be missed. He was truly the best of men and everyone who knew him loved him. We know he is asleep in Jesus awaiting the day Christ will come back for the Church..