Farewell Francis Bailey!

In his essay called "History," the preacher-poet-philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote:  "All history becomes subjective; in other words, there is properly no history, only biography."  All history is, in the end, biography.  All history can be discovered in the lives of the individuals who lived it.  Such is the case with Francis P. Bailey, Jr.

The flags here on Sanibel have been lowered to half-staff with the announcement of his passing this weekend.  At the age of 92 he not only saw but helped shape much of the modern history of this place we call home.  His family first came to the island in 1899, when it was still a mosquito infested farming community.  And while he was actually born "overseas" in neighboring Fort Myers, Francis was, for all intents and purposes, a life long resident.

I met Francis shortly after arriving on the island.  It was hard to miss him!  He was a frequent participant in various island activities.  I remember spending time with him after a memorial service I had conducted for another Sanibel pillar.  He had story after story to tell about his days on Sanibel!  History captured in biography!

Some will laud his dedication to the island, and his long history of government service here, including a stint as mayor.  Others will highlight how he was among those who fought for the incorporation of Sanibel in order to protect it from becoming overdeveloped..  Still others will talk of his work with the family business, the Sanibel Packing Company and the renowned Bailey's General Store (where you really can buy nails, nuts and knives!)  But in many ways his greatest contribution to the island over the years, has been the way he has embodied our history.  His storytelling was and is legendary.  And in many ways helped to keep us connected to the real Sanibel.

In a lengthy story about Francis in his college newsletter (he attended Hampden-Sydney College)  Francis spoke of the days before our island was connected to the mainland by the Causeway.  "We had no paved roads," he said, "no sidewalks, no furniture store, no barber, no beauty shop, no movie theater.  It was just here.  Nobody felt deprived.  That's what we had."  (Quoted by John Dudley in "Francis Bailey's Wonderful Life," The Record, March 2012)

We've got all those other things now.  And much more besides.  But the reality is, we still have this island--so much of it preserved and protected--thanks to folks like Francis Bailey.  Folks who understood that "just being here" was and is a gift in iteslf.

(Photo Credit:  Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation)