CHESTER– Kay J. (Bailey) Pease, 76, (1939-2015) passed on to everlasting life on Thursday, August 27th in Noble Hospital with her loving family by her side. Born in Rustburg, VA on July 18, 1939, she was the daughter of the late Clarence A. Bailey, Jr. and Minnie G. Bailey-Brown. She grew up mainly in Virginia, but also lived in Washington, D.C. and South Dakota. She married in 1956 and she and her husband Duane moved to Middlefield, then to Chester a year later where she remained until her death. Kay held several positions throughout the years including bookkeeper for Kelly Hardwood Corporation, office manager/circulation for the Country Journal, and postal clerk at the Chester Post Office. She also worked for the Northampton Assessors Office, and while she enjoyed and excelled in all of her work, she always felt her most important and fulfilling accomplishment was raising her family. She took great pride in her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Kay possessed an innate curiosity and truly enjoyed meeting and getting to know new people wherever she went. She loved to travel and made trips throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. She was born with a sense of adventure and was open to essentially anything that life had to offer. Kay will be deeply missed by her family and friends. She leaves her husband of 59 years, R. Duane Pease; sons and daughters-in-law, Russell D. and Rebecca Pease of Concord, NC, and Allen D. and Paige Pease of Charlotte, NC; daughters and sons-in-law, Barbara P. and Thomas Huntoon of Chester, and Karen A. and Richard Beam, of Belmont, NC; brothers and sisters-in-law, Clarence A. III and Ann Bailey of Appomattox, VA, Keith W. and Sandie Bailey, of Gloversville, NY, and R. Dale and Emily Brown, of Lynchburg, VA, and sister-in-law Beth Pease Fuller of Pittsfield; grandchildren, Ryan Pease and wife Stacy, Raquel Pease, Coert Pease, Grant Pease, Elsa Pease, Alan Strong and wife Tasha, Christopher Strong and fiancée Jill Savery, Becky Cortis and husband Michael, Clint Huntoon, Mathew Sieber, Meaghan Sieber, Maura Kay Sieber, Paul Beam, and Melanie Beam; and ten great grandchildren. She also leaves her honorary granddaughter, Kristin Krupa and family of Chester, and honorary grandson, Tamar Surratt, of Belmont, NC. She was predeceased by her brother, Ricci S. Brown. Kay’s family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at Baystate Noble Hospital for the excellent care they provided her. A celebration of Kay’s life will be held on Sunday, September 6th at 2:30 pm at the Chester Railway Station, 10 Prospect Street, Chester, MA01011.O’Brien Hilltown Community Funeral Home in Huntington is in charge of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Kay’s name to the Chester Fire Association, 300 Route 20, Chester, MA 01011 or to the American Lung Association of the Northeast, 393 Maple Street, Springfield, MA 01105.
