Joanna Bailey

Joanna Wilder Bailey, age 73, was born April 8, 1947 in Andalusia, AL and passed away peacefully in Covington, KY on December 15, 2020. She lived in the Cincinnati/Covington/Edgewood area for 47 years. The daughter of the late Cecil O. and Syble Posey Wilder, she grew up in Wetumpka, AL and graduated from Wetumpka High School. Joanna graduated from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN with a bachelors degree in music education and taught middle school general music and chorus for 30 years, finishing her career at Turkey Foot Middle School in Edgewood. An active musician, she taught private voice and piano lessons, and she sang in the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati, under the direction of Earl Rivers, from the mid 90s through the early 2000s. Always actively involved in her church, she was a former member of Lakeside Presbyterian in Lakeside Park, KY and of The Presbyterian Church in Wyoming, OH. Before suffering a stroke a year ago, she had been the pianist/choirmaster at Community of Faith Presbyterian Church since 1993. Joanna is survived by her children, Breeka (Chuck) Whitaker, and Daniel Bailey, her grandchildren John Mehl and Austin Whitaker, and Conner and Aiden Bailey, and her former husband and close friend, Gerald Bailey. She is also survived by three brothers, Cecil (Ann) Wilder of Atlanta, GA, Thomas (Judy) Wilder of Wetumpka, AL, and Mark (Denise) Wilder of Pike Road, AL. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there will be a memorial service planned later at her church. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joanna’s memory may be made to the music ministry of Community of Faith Presbyterian Church, PO Box 121038, Covington, KY 41012.