Katherine Irene Bailey

Katherine Irene Rerecich Bailey passed peacefully from this life at age 91 on February 6, 2023, after a short decline.
Katherine was a beloved and devoted wife and mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was predeceased by her brother Albert Jr., her sister Sherry Rerecich Skinner, and her parents, Stella Garlotte Rerecich and Albert Raymond Rerecich.
She was married to Gordon Francis Bailey of New Orleans for 70 years until his death on September 6, 2020.
Katherine, known as "Kat" to her family, was born on May 12, 1931 and grew up in Vicksburg and Biloxi, Mississippi. She was valedictorian of her high school, St. John the Evangelist, at the age of 15. She began nurses training with the Sisters of Mercy but left to wed Gordon in 1949. After their move to Ft. Worth, Texas, she was a devoted mother to their four children as he began a long career in the automobile business. She later worked in customer outreach at Holiday Lincoln Mercury, his main Ft. Worth dealership.
She is survived by daughter Jan and her partner Tony DiCicco; daughter Kathy; son Joe and daughter-in-law Susan; grandchildren Katy, Christie, Kara, Haley, Samantha, Sarah, Gordon III, Eric, Leila, Paige, Joseph Jr., and James; as well as 27 grandchildren (with one on the way); 4 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews, with a special place in her heart for Steve Doukas with whom she remained close throughout her life, and his wife Marilyn.
Katherine was a striking beauty, a voracious reader with interests ranging from history to medicine, and from antiques to the arts. She was a talented interior decorator and collector of a wide range of beautiful art and objects. Her children and grandchildren remember her love and care, her advice and help; she delighted in making those she loved happy. She and Gordon were generous benefactors to family, friends, and others who were known only to themselves. Katherine was a longtime parishioner at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church in Sanger and at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Richland Hills. As her age advanced and she was unable to attend Mass, the priests of those chapels visited her regularly so that she could receive the sacraments. Her family takes great solace knowing that she died in the arms of the Church. Her life revolved around her faith and her family, who will greatly miss her.