Obituary of Jon Scott Bailly

Obituary for Jon Scott Bailly Swanville - Jon Scott Bailly, 66, died at home suddenly, but peacefully, Nov. 7, 2012. He was born Feb. 10, 1946 in Minneapolis, son of the late Helen (Aasen) and Charles E. Bailly. After graduating from Lawrence Univ. with a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology in 1968, Scott volunteered in VISTA in WV, where he met Debbie Johnston, also a VISTA volunteer, whom he would marry in 1971. A spiritually peaceful man, he was granted conscientious objector status during the Viet Nam War. Shortly after Scott graduated from the Yale Univ. Physician’s Assistant Program, they moved to ME from CT, seeking a slower pace and the great outdoors. Scott was employed as a PA at the Arthur Jewell Health Center and then at Seaport Family Practice. Passionate about protecting the environment, Scott could be an icon of reduce/reuse/recycle, to the extent of hitchhiking to Belfast by day or night, sometimes in the rain, rather than “waste” fuel in his 50 mpg auto. He wouldn’t dream of driving the 4 miles round trip to the local grocery, but often combined a visit there with his nearly daily 5½ mile walk “around the block.” With a philosophy of “less is better,” Scott had little interest in material possessions. He would sit quietly for hours observing and communing with nature, listening to bird song or investigating an interesting insect. He joyously lent his bass voice to the Unitarian Universalist Church choir, Heartsong, and the Pen Bay Singers, and he reaped great enjoyment working out songs on guitar and piano. He and Debbie loved camping, snorkeling, and adventuring in exotic locales. Even though he was a quiet, reflective soul, comfortable with solitude, he struck up conversations with friends and strangers, readily able to reach meaningful levels of dialogue. Curious about life, he loved learning – reading about consciousness or the life of dirt and talking with rangers when camping – and shared his knowledge enthusiastically. He was kind. He was authentic. He could show tears without shame. He was wondrously content with his life. Scott will be greatly missed by family: his soul mate, Deborah (Johnston) Bailly; sister, Teryl Lawson and husband, John; 3 brothers – Richard Bailly and wife, Margie; David and wife, Jan; and Charles; brother-in-law, Jack Brunt; and 9 nieces and nephews. A celebration of his life will be held this winter. Donations in his memory may be made to Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy: TNC, 4245 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203 or my.nature.org/donate. Arrangements are under the care of Riposta Funeral Home 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast, ME 04915 Please visit www.ripostafh.com to offer condolences to the Bailly family. Celebration of life will be announced at a later date.