Verna Marie (Falkingham)
Bayley, 93, died Sunday, August 31, 2014 at the Sunrise Senior
Living Community in Cary, NC.
A native of
Massachusetts, she was born in Lynn on November 5 1920 and was
raised in Peabody, the daughter of the late Lois and Arthur
Falkingham. Verna graduated with honors from Peabody High School and
received the George Peabody Award for academic excellence. She
graduated from the Hawthorne Institute in 1939 and worked briefly
prior to her marriage in 1941. She was the very devoted wife of the
late Charles D. Bayley Sr. for sixty-seven years. After her
marriage, Verna moved to Ipswich where she spent most of her married
life as a stay at home mom and homemaker. While in Ipswich, along
with her husband, she spent many happy days on the water as members
of the Ipswich Outboard Club and the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
When not doing that, she pursued her love of music as a member of
the North Shore Organ Society and spent endless hours gardening in
her yard. In the later years she worked for the Ipswich School
Department and retired in 1980.
In 1987 they moved to
Cary, NC to be closer to their son and grandchildren. While in Cary,
she was a member Saint Michael's Catholic Church, actively involved
in the Cary XYZ Club and enjoyed many hours volunteering for Red
Cross Blood drives.
Verna always remarked
about her wonderful life and was quoted as saying. “I wish to be
remembered for my love of husband, family, friends and home as well
as gardening and music”.
In addition to her
parents and husband, she was predeceased by sisters, Betty and
Shirley and brothers Buddy and Philip. Verna is survived by a sister
Marilyn Ricciardi of West Hartford, CT, sons, Charles (Don) Bayley
Jr. and wife Sandy of Cary, NC, Clarke B. Bayley and wife Deborah of
Longwood, FL, and Glenn A. Bayley and wife Pamela of Simpsonville,
SC., and grandchildren Vanessa Grant and her husband Chip and
Allison Dwyer and her husband Robert of Cary NC, Christopher Bayley
and his partner Allan of Portland, ME, and Alyssa Bayley of
Bradford, as well as Great Grandchildren Erika Kryzynski of
Bradford, Bayley and Alex Grant and Caroline and Charles Height of
Cary, NC. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Verna’s family would
like to thank all her friends and the wonderful staff at Sunrise
Senior Living in Cary as well as the very caring support of the
Transitions/Hospice team of Wake County.
A Funeral Mass will
be held Wednesday in St. Michael the Arch Angel Catholic Church, in
Cary. Visiting hours in the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home, 6 High
Street, Ipswich will be held Friday from noon prior to a committal
service 2 pm graveside in the New Highland Cemetery, Ipswich. Family
and friends are respectfully welcomed.
In lieu of flowers,
please make donations to Transitions Life Care (formerly Hospice of
Wake County) 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.
