Brian Bailey

2025-08-14

Brain became active in our club in 2013 and has been a leader and participant in many Collingwood community activities.

After a life lived to its fullest with his family, his many hobbies, his rich career, and in a wide array of community service. Brian passed away August 14, 2025, at Campbell House Hospice, with his family by his side. He will be deeply missed by his wife Cindy (Piper), and daughter Lara (Mihail Altantchev), and is predeceased by his son, Kyle Bailey. Born in Eccles, near Manchester, England in 1936 to parents Karina & Lewis Bailey. Brother to Joyce Stimson (deceased) and Lee Bailey (Nova Scotia). Brian’s career began as a meteorologist, serving in the British Air Ministry in the Middle East. He then worked launching weather balloons in the North Atlantic (in 50 foot waves). He emigrated to Canada in 1959 where he worked for Bell Canada installing telephone switchboards. Next Brian worked as a mortgage and loans actuary. Then Brian built a career in computing, before working at Confederation Life in their mortgage and loans department. He ended his career as the Executive Director in Information Technology before ‘retiring’ to Collingwood. While here, he started his own business (ITMC) in computer sales and networking, and launched a CD label company. Finally, Brian became a full- time ski patroller for Blue Mountain. Brian’s enjoyed many passions and hobbies: ballroom dancing in Blackpool; fixing his Sunbeam Alpine to make it the best at Mosport; skiing at Blue Mountain; learning all aspects of construction for building his chalet (learning carpentry, roofing, plumbing, electricity, drywalling etc.); keelboat racing at RCYC and at the Collingwood Yacht Club; and learning offshore navigation with a sextant. He was an avid reader, a self- learner, and a passionate music lover. He loved silly escapades and a good debate, challenge, or adventure. Brian was a patient and very dearly devoted father and husband, who treasured family life, and his travels with them. He was a fountain of information and very difficult to beat in trivia and family debates! Brian believed in giving back to his community, and served as the Collingwood Rotary Club President &Treasurer; Race Director & Commodore of the Collingwood Yacht Club; Treasurer & President of the British Car Club; Treasurer of the Blue Mountain Arts & Culture Group; co-organized Jazzmania and Music by The Bay events in Thornbury; tech volunteer for Georgian Triangle Life Long Learning; Secretary Treasurer of the Watts Skiff Club; and First Aid Aid instructor for the Canadian Ski Patrol. For ten years he dedicated himself to organizing and running the Collingwood Sailing School, helping it grow into a program which taught over a hundred students annually, and for which he was inducted into the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. The family would like to thank all the kind and gentle staff and volunteers at The Campbell House Hospice who eased Brian’s life transition; the Doctors and staff at CGMH; his kind and caring Ontario Health at Home Caseworker; and the PSWs who provided Brian with the needed support to stay at home as long as possible. Postponement: the Celebration of Life for Brian Bailey, originally scheduled for Sept. 14, will be in the spring - his future granddaughter has complicated the date! Thank you for your condolences. In lieu of flowers, donations in Brian’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Greater Simcoe County, or The Hospice Georgian Triangle Foundation, or The Collingwood General & Marine Hospital, or The Collingwood Sailing Academy