OBITUARY INFORMATION FROM MERRITT FUNERAL HOME (MENDOTA, IL) WEBSITE:
Robert “Bud” Baile, 93, a lifelong resident of Mendota, passed away Aug. 17, 2016, in Wesley Willows Senior Living Community, Rockford. He was welcomed into the arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, surrounded by his loving family.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in First United Methodist Church, Mendota with the Rev. Kent Svendsen officiating. Burial will be at Restland Cemetery.
Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Wednesday in the church. Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota is handling arrangements.
Mr. Baile was born Sept. 30, 1922, to Nagle and Selma (Sittig) Baile in Chicago. He married Edith “Edee” Bigsby on Aug. 18, 1946.
Bob served with the Army Air Corps during World War II, stationed at Gander Newfoundland Airforce Base from 1942-1946. Even at that early age, he was dedicated to music as he served in the Army base band. The band’s primary mission was to provide music to boost morale for returning troops and airmen following their bombing missions.
Bob graduated from Morehead State University in Kentucky with a degree in music education and received his master’s degree in music education from the University of Illinois in 1951. He formed the band The Kentuckians, performing various big band shows throughout his undergraduate years.
His first teaching assignment was in El Paso, Ill., teaching high school band. He and his family moved to Mendota in 1956 where he taught high school band until his retirement in 1984. He was fine arts director for many years where he implemented the still existing annual symphony concert, Mendota Wind Ensemble, ice cream social and band tours. He also served as president of the Illinois Music Educators Association. He taught privately throughout his career at the high school and for many years during retirement.
He was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Mendota, serving as choir director and adult Sunday school teacher. He founded Mendota Brass Choir. After moving from Mendota to Rockton in 2014, he became involved in Roscoe Methodist Church where he attended until this past spring.
He is survived by his daughters, Sandra (Greg) Thompson of Chicago, Jennifer Wagner of Plainfield, Julie Caffey of Naperville and Kimberly (Terry) Andreas of Rockton; son Jeffrey (Jean) Baile of Mackinaw; 11 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren; sister Margaret Stanley of Hobart, IN. and nephew Robert Stanley of Hobart, IN.
He was preceded in death by his wife; sister, Catherine “Kitty” Golden; and his parents. Memorials may be directed to First United Methodist Church or Mendota Food Pantry.
This information and the picture below were obtained from: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/robert-baile-obituary?pid=181108920. The picture above was obtained from the 1942 HHS Ho-Hi Life yearbook, made available by the Lake County Public Library, at: https://archive.org/details/HOHS1942Images/.
