LaVerne Gee Bailey

Mrs. LaVerne Gee Bailey was the only daughter of the late Mr. Baxter William Gee Sr. and Mrs. Golda Hamm Gee. Born in Timmonsville, South Carolina on February 22, 1937, she and her older brother Baxter Jr. later moved to Norfolk, VA where they lived with their aunt and uncle Dr. Alfred “Doc” Fentress and Mrs. Altethea “Big Leat” Fentress.

LaVerne attended the prestigious Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, North Carolina and was a member of the French Club and the band. She also resided in the Honor House for students with exceptional grades. LaVerne graduated from Palmer in 1954. She then moved on to the Historical Black College Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she studied History and met the love of her life Ernest A. Bailey III who was attending North Carolina A&T across the way. LaVerne graduated from Bennet in 1958.

She and Ernest married in July of 1963 in Norfolk, VA. After Ernest’s time in the Air Force they moved to Los Angeles, California and LaVerne began working at the Eagle Rock Branch Public Library. They would remain wed until Ernest’s passing on September 9, 2017. They had three beautiful daughters- Kerri, Kelli and Krisi- who they both adored. Sadly, LaVerne suffered the loss of her oldest daughter Kerri on October 11, 2020.

LaVerne was a member of two social and civic organizations: Bennett College Southern California Alumni Chapter and  the Los Angeles chapter of the National Epicureans Inc., where she served as a founding member and the chapter’s first President in 1979.

In 1989, the Baileys moved their family to Las Vegas, Nevada where LaVerne was the Librarian for Frank Kim Elementary School. She retired from Frank Kim in 2005. LaVerne treasured her family and friends and remained very close to some of her co-workers as well as her Palmer and Bennett classmates.

LaVerne is survived by her daughters Kelli (Kevin Sr.) Woodland, Krisi (Ricardo) Langford; grandchildren Ernest A. Bailey IV, Britany Bailey, Thomas Richardson, Tianna Richardson, Kevin Woodland Jr, Kameron Bailey, Kaila Woodland; great-grandchildren Dei’Anna & Ta’Mia Richardson and Titus Burton; brother Baxter (Judy) Gee (Washington, D.C.), niece Judith LaVerne Gee (Washington D.C.); and cousin Barbara (Bobby) Outler (Florence, SC), along with a host of other family and friends.