John Henry Bailey II, 78

John Henry Bailey II, loving husband of Jean Andersen Bailey, proud father of Melissa Tokstad and John Henry Bailey III, sailor, climber of any mountain in his way, indefatigable ski instructor, and information technology specialist, died in his home in White Salmon, Washington, in a bed facing his other home, Mount Hood, in the early morning of March 24 with family at his side. He was 78.

The cause was melanoma of the brain which was discovered in late December when a colleague from The Mount Hood Meadows Ski School noted Bailey wobbling as he skied.

Bailey was born in New York City in 1946 and spent his formative years in Acton, where he met Jean Andersen, took her to the senior prom at Acton-Carlisle High School, and married her after he graduated from Colby College in 1968. After attending the Navy Diving School, he was commissioned as an officer and served in Vietnam. Back in Maine, he worked for the Maine State Legislature as a biologist and IT consultant while finding time for skiing, hiking, sailing, and coaching his children’s soccer teams.

Bailey was recruited by Nike from its subsidiary, Cole-Haan, near Portland, Maine, to its headquarters in Portland, Oregon. He became director of business intelligence. Shortly after he retired, he and Jean returned to the East Coast, where he leveraged his master’s from the University of Maine to teach biology. He biked the 16 miles to and from his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, to Wells High School in Ogunquit each school day. The birth of a grandchild in Oregon lured him back to the West Coast Portland. On Mount Hood, he discovered his true love (after Jean, Melissa, and John Jr.): teaching adaptive skiing, which he did for over two decades. “What started me was the free ski pass; what kept me going was the impact on people’s lives,” Bailey liked to say. Feeling that he might have to slow down his downhill teaching, he earned his level II certificate in Alpine skiing late last year.

Bailey is survived by his wife Jean Andersen Bailey; his daughter Melissa and her husband, Kevin Tokstad; his son John and his wife Una Tjeon Bailey; four grandchildren, Carson, Lily and Isaac Tokstad, and Brogan Kearney; and a sister, Elizabeth Ann Bailey.

John’s ashes will be divided between Mount Hood and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in memorial celebrations to be announced at a later date.