John M. (Jack) Bailey passed away Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, at his home in Philipsburg. He was the son of Norman Bailey and Margaret Louise Rogers Bailey. He was born in Philipsburg, on May 27, 1942, and lived most of his adult life in Philipsburg.
Jack was the husband of Carla Pedrazzani Bailey, formerly of Osceola Mills, with whom he shared over 45 years of marriage. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Michelle and Russ Traub, of Stroudsburg, Krista and Bill David, of Mansfield and Norman (Tut) and Amy Bailey, of Fort Mill, S.C.; and his 10 grandchildren, Emily, Madison and Rachel Traub, MacKenzie, Garrett and Riley David, and Matlyn, Camille, Nora and Charlotte Bailey. He is also survived by his three brothers, Sam, Roger and Mike Bailey, and three sisters, Jennie Lee Husted, Cathy Wayne, and Mary McCloskey. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Richard (Dick) Bailey.
Jack was a three-sport athlete at Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School, graduating with the class of 1960. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Mansfield University, and was a three-year starter on the football team in the mid-1960s. After his playing career was shortened by injury, he coached the 1966 freshman football team to a 4-1 record during his senior year.
Jack began his career in the field of special education as a teacher from 1968-75, and then as a supervisor for 24 years, before his retirement in 1999. He worked in most of the school districts across Clearfield and Centre Counties. During that time, though, Jack became best known as "Coach Bailey," serving as a head or assistant coach for 20 years, where his teams had a combined 107-93-3 record.
His high school coaching career began at West Branch Area High School from 1966-74, but he is mainly associated with the football program at his alma mater through the 1980s and early 90s. He oversaw the most successful stretch of the P-O football program. He was a staunch believer in playing a basic offense and defense and teaching his players to execute better than their opponents. As a player or coach, Jack was a member of nearly every one of the winningest Mountie football teams. He coached seven teams to conference championships across the two football programs, and is the only Mountie head coach to have won the Big Eight, Central Counties, and Western Conference championships.
He is a member of the Central Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association (CPFCA) Hall of Fame and the Clearfield County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Jack also contributed significantly to the coaching profession in leadership roles with the National Football Foundation, the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association (PSFCA), and even served on the football coaches advisory committee for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). Jack was instrumental in establishing the high school football playoff system in PIAA District 6 in 1985, as well as the statewide playoff system three years later. In his most recent role with the PSFCA beginning in 2005, he researched and presented the need to change and improve the PIAA football playoff system and gained the respect of his peers on a statewide level. For the past two decades, his professional efforts also included leading CPFCA's Lezzer Lumber Classic, the regional football all-star game for central Pennsylvania. Jack was part of the game's leadership including administrative duties for the game and raising money for the scholarship funds since its inception in 1985. He helped provide nearly $100,000 in scholarships to college-bound athletes through the Classic and the Coaches Association.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, at Trinity United Methodist Church in Philipsburg. Friends will be received at 2 p.m., with the service beginning at 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, Jack requested that donations be made to the CPFCA Scholarship Fund, PO Box 1125, Lemont, PA 16851, as the Coaches Association is establishing a scholarship in his name for local high school football players.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Beezer-Heath Funeral Home, 719 E. Spruce St., Philipsburg. On-line condolences may be sent to, beezer-heathfuneralhome.com.