Former teacher was active in the community
Published in the September 17-30, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Edward Prichard
Photo courtesy the Bailey family
Brooke and Garry Bailey
Friends and family of local teacher Brooke Bailey shared warm memories of her Sept. 7 at the Morgan Hill Downtown Amphitheater. Cancer took away Brooke from our community at age 61, but the disease never took away her zest for life. The laughter and tears we shared at the special concert performed in tribute to her by the band Proxima Prada showed that Brooke touched the hearts and minds of many people in Morgan Hill.
Brooke was the second person I met when I arrived in Morgan Hill a few years back when I came to work here at the Sobrato Arts Foundation for Education. I rented a room at her house, and came to know and admire her.
She always got me to try new things I’d never imagine myself ever doing – and I’m a pretty open, adventurous person. One morning, she woke me up at 6 a.m. and said, “Hey, we’re going to Zumba.” Somehow at the 24-Hour Fitness gym floor, I managed to keep up to the fast-pace of this dance-based exercise program. It was a challenge. I sprained my ankle and limped into work soon after. That was Brooke. She was always throwing her friends into situations that helped them to share her love of life.
Brooke had a wonderful reputation as a teacher, making literature come to life for her students. I talked to so many of her former students and the one thing everyone of them said about her is that she didn’t let them get away with anything. She would always press them to be better, to think better, to think outside the box and be the best that they could be as a person. I saw that with all the people around her.
I also saw that she and her husband Garry made an amazing team. Garry served as the more mellow balance to her Type-A personality. The two had a wonderful partnership in raising their son Bryson as well as three daughters Chelsea, Ashleigh and Christina. And when Ashleigh had a baby, Brooke was proud to be a grandma.
Brooke was also proud of the Morgan Hill community, and she had a never-ending energy in her pursuit to make the city even better by advocating causes. She helped influence the city council to build an amphitheater at the Community & Cultural Center plaza, and many summer Friday nights, she was there boogying to the music of the Friday Night Music Series.
Brooke lived a quality life. She really taught me how precious life is and that we all need to take on the challenges of life to be the best that we can personally be. Brooke Bailey lived that philosophy every day.
