Carlton J. Bailey, successful contractor

Carlton Joseph Bailey, 82, of Rehoboth Beach, passed away Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, at Harbor Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Lewes.  He was born Sept. 23, 1933, in Milton, son of the late Frank E. and Blanch E. (Talbert) Bailey.

Mr. Bailey was raised in Milton and on Pilottown Road in Lewes, and graduated from Lewes High School in 1953.  He proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.  Upon his honorable discharge, he obtained a masonry training apprenticeship under Mr. Bill Lindale.  Mr. Bailey went on to partner with his friend, Samuel Paynter, and operate Bailey & Paynter Mason Contractors for many years.

Mr. Bailey was a member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church and the VFW.  He was a very talented mason with the great accomplishment of having designed and personally built his own family’s home on Pinewater Farms.  As a very athletic individual, he enjoyed participating in various sports, and remained a lifelong avid football fan.  He also loved traveling with friends, and spending long hours boating and fishing. Mr. Bailey was an excellent dancer, joyful singer, had a sharp and sometimes bold sense of style, a notable sense of humor, a great zest for his Christian faith and a memorable zeal for life, often playing charming practical jokes on the unwitting.

Mr. Bailey treasured time spent with his family, and the loving companionship of his pets, all of whom he dearly loved.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Bailey was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia Ray Bailey.  He is survived by his son, C.J. Bailey II and his wife Renee of Rehoboth Beach; a daughter, Carla Jo Bailey and her fiancé Luis Vasquez of Los Angeles, Calif.; two brothers: Jim Bailey of Milford and Bill Bailey of Lewes; and a sister, Patricia Ledford and her husband Emory of Middle River, Md.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, Feb. 12, at 11 a.m., at All Saints' Episcopal Church, 18 Olive Ave., Rehoboth Beach, where friends may call beginning at 10 a.m.  Burial, with military honors will follow the services at the Epworth Methodist Cemetery, Henlopen Avenue, Rehoboth Beach.

Memorial contributions may be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 2400 West 4th St., Wilmington, DE 19805, or Broadkill VFW Post 6984, 1000 Atlantic Ave., Milton, DE 19968.

Please visit Mr. Bailey's Life Memorial Webpage and sign his online guestbook at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.