Bettie Burleigh Bailey

Bettie Burleigh Bailey, 83 passed away May 11th, 2024. Bettie had a long and hard journey with Alzheimer’s disease. She was surrounded in the weeks before her death by her family. She will be missed deeply. 

Bettie was a native Floridian from Chattahoochee, Florida. She was born on September

7th, 1940, to Herbert and Irene Dean in River Junction, Florida, a small town nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians near the Georgia border.

Bettie’s family moved to Panama City, Florida, where she graduated from Bay County High School in 1958 and attended Gulf Coast Community College. It was there that she met her first husband, Bob Burleigh. Together, they had three children: Leslie, Susan, and Roger. The family spent five years in British Columbia before returning to Brevard County, Florida, in the 1970s.

Bettie began working as a library aide at Kennedy Middle School and pursued further education at Brevard Community College, earning an AS degree in 1978 and an AA degree in 1980. She went on to graduate from the University of Central Florida with a BA in Educational Media in 1981 and was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, a National Education Honor Society. Her first role as a librarian was at Tropical Elementary in Merritt Island, Florida, where she worked from 1981 to 1993.

Bettie married Don Bailey in May 1993. The couple moved to Newberry, Florida, where Bettie served as an Educational Media Specialist at Hawthorne Middle/High School from 1993 to 1997. In 1997, Bettie and Don relocated to Mt. Dora, Florida, where she took on her dream job as Media Educational Specialist at Mt. Dora High School. While there, she was deeply involved in the school community, serving on the Literacy Council, SAC, and Technology Committee, and as Department Chair for Media, Music, and Art. She was also the class sponsor for the Class of 2004 and a mentor teacher. Bettie was

honored as Teacher of the Year for the 2008/2009 school year and retired in 2010.

Bettie had a passion for the beach, art festivals, and unique jewelry. She was an avid reader, always reading about the history of towns she visited and sharing her love for reading and history with others.

In 2014, Bettie and Don moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida, to be closer to family.

Known as "Nanny" to grandchildren—Kristine, Ally, Taylor, Brianne, and Adalyn and Morgan. Bettie cherished her relationships with each of them and made many special memories together. She was a guiding light for her family and will be dearly missed.

Bettie is survived by her children, Leslie Wayson of Altamonte Springs, Florida; Susan Anderson (Danny) of Dahlonega, Georgia; and Roger Burleigh of Cocoa Beach, Florida; and her stepchildren, Don Bailey of Melbourne, Florida; John Bailey (Trish) of Klamath Falls, Oregon; and Pamela Bailey of Titusville, Florida. She is also survived by her brother, James (Fleta) Dean. Bettie was predeceased by her husband, Don

Bailey, who passed away in June 2023. They were married for thirty years.

Bettie’s life was a testament to her dedication to education, her family, and her community. She touched many lives with her warmth, intelligence, and passion for learning. She will be remembered fondly and missed deeply by all who knew her.