Michelle Anne Roach Bailey

I first met Mrs. Bailey in 1990 when I joined 24th Nassau as a Girl Guide, when she was Miss Roach. She quickly became one of my favorite adults and a mentor to me. I spent the next six years learning from her, traveling with her, annoying her, and loving her. After completing Rangers, she recruited me as her assistant in the Brownie program at Holy Cross. I promise you she knew every camp/guide song there ever was and she always sang the right tune. When I moved to Long Island to begin my teaching career, she and Ms. Barry encouraged me to reestablish a pack there, which I did. She supported me through that and it is because of her leadership that I am still a Brownie leader to this day. She fostered in me a love for guiding which I'm passing on to my daughter. She loved guiding and her guide sisters. She loved her girls from Brownies to Rangers and we loved her right back. She kept in touch with me down to days before her passing and she knew I and many others would be there for her if she needed us. She had a way of making each of us feel like we were her favorite. My sister, Dr. Melisande Bassett-Collie and I owe so much to Mrs. Bailey in shaping us into the women we've become. She also had a bond with our mom, who would let us go anywhere as long as Mrs. Roach-Bailey was there. I wasn't ready for her transition and I thought I had more time to learn from Mrs. Bailey. My only solace is knowing that she no longer feels pain or discomfort. May her legacy continue to live on through all of the young ladies she has touched. To her family and friends, I know this is not easy because we lost someone so priceless and so beautiful. May her soul rest in peace. With lots of love, Milagros