Sarilea Jacqueline Bailey

Celebrating the Life of Sarilea “Sally” Jacquelyn Bailey

Sarilea Jacquelyn “Sally” Bailey brought joy, laughter, and warmth to all who knew her. Sally passed away peacefully, at the age of 86, on Sunday, September 14, 2025, in Kansas City, MO, leaving behind a lifetime of fun, kindness, and adventure.

Born November 16, 1938, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Jackson Theodore Barnes and Margaret Christina Walsh Barnes, Sally grew up in Omaha and attended the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Her infectious spirit earned her the vote for most popular girl on campus during her junior year, a title she wore with a smile. After graduating she married her college sweetheart James Robert Jaeger, and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri.

Sally’s life was filled with movement and energy. She was an avid tennis player, always up for a match, and later found joy zipping around on her motor scooter. Her passion for the stock market urged her to take the leap into entrepreneurialism when she opened her own brokerage office for Dominick and Dominick in Westwood, Kansas, with her second husband Lou Bailey.

Family was everything to Sally. She is survived by her children, Wendy Ann Jaeger McGraw (married to Jon Michael McGraw of Kansas City, MO) and Gregory James Jaeger of Bethlehem, PA; her cherished grandchildren, Abtein Sebastian Jaeger and Julian Shahab Jaeger of Philadelphia, PA; and her sisters, Jeanette Elaine Barnes Jeffrey and Frances Paulette Barnes. She was preceded in death by her son Jeffrey Thomas Jaeger and her sister Elizabeth Ann Barnes Northhorn.

Sally’s love extended to every cat, dog, and horse she met; and she considered them family, too. She was especially fond of her Bengal cat, Babbs Bailey. In her honor, please consider a donation to your favorite pet rescue or charity.

Sally’s laughter, kindness, and zest for life will be deeply missed, but her spirit lives on in every memory shared and every smile she inspired.