Roll Call Tribute

Dwayne S. "Dub" Bailey 

April 9, 1935 - April 24, 2024 

Dwayne S. (Dub) Bailey, 89, of Scottdale (East Huntingdon Township), PA died at home according to his wishes, on Wednesday April 24, 2024, after a four-year battle with multiple health concerns. Dub was born April 9, 1935, in Port Arthur Texas, a son of the late Joseph Weldon and Bessie Mae (McCord) Bailey, who died in 1994 and 1983, respectively.

A true entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, Dub found many ingenious ways to earn money for college, from delivering the newspaper to hundreds of households a day, selling pots and pans door to door, lying about his age so he could work at Yellowstone National Park for the summer, to driving an asphalt truck for the local road crew.

He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur in 1953. He then studied at Texas A & M University, where he graduated in 1957 with a BBA degree in accounting. While at A & M, he was involved in the Corp of Cadets’ reserve officers’ training course. When he wanted to visit his parents on the weekend, he would put on his Corps uniform and hitchhike home and back. He never had any trouble finding a ride quickly by someone willing to assist a Corps member. He also was deeply involved in the Baptist Student Union and in 1957 presented on stage with Billy Graham at their convention in Nashville.

Because of his Corps involvement, he was able to enter the army as a commissioned officer. Dub felt it was his patriotic duty to enroll in both the Corps and the Army. During his four years in the Army, he was stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia, where he completed the airborne course, paratrooper certification (completing 5 jumps), and then enrolled in flight school at Gary AFB in San Marcos, Texas. He continued his aviation training by completing the instrument course at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He then spent two years at Fort Hood, Texas and was sent to South Korea for 13 months, where he patrolled the demilitarized zone by air looking for soldiers crossing from North Korea after the war. He processed out of the Army in August 1961. He then spent 2 years in the Army reserve, where he was promoted to Captain.

Dub later attended the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to become a minister. During his time there as a lay minister, he performed marriage ceremonies for 2 of his brothers. However, his love of aviation called him in a different direction. He loved flying and owned his own airplane. He left the seminary to join Campbell Air Service at Vice President, where he spent several years in Costa Rica spraying coffee plantations by helicopter. Through Campbell, he came to Scottdale to set up the aviation division for Penn Line Service. His team was charged with spraying power line rights of way, pipeline spraying, and they developed a pioneering hydro seeding system that no one else in the world used. Dub also traveled to other states to spray or to oversee the teams that sprayed. In addition, on weekends he and his team would retrieve capsized rafters from the Ohiopyle waters. Once in Scottdale, he joined the First Baptist Church as a Deacon, where he met his first wife and started a family.

He transitioned to Evergreen Services as the East Coast Regional VP, when they bought the aviation division from Penn Line. In this capacity, he piloted his plane to meetings with hospital accounts around the country to oversee life flight accounts. He then formed his own aviation company, Helicopter Systems, Inc.

Dub continued as an aviation pilot and executive in various capacities until retirement. Upon his retirement, he began a 22-year career as a bus driver with Groomes Transit. Dub cherished his time driving the bus, and meeting all the children, parents, and teachers. Over the 22 years, he had the privilege of driving hundreds of Southmoreland students, who referred to him as “Dubby”.

Dub never met a stranger. He was also known to be a fixture at every SHS soccer game and soccer booster event in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Dub is survived by his daughter, Suzanne Bailey of Florida, stepson Chad Connors and family of Maryland, his sister Lynda Bailey of Delaware, and many nieces and nephews throughout the country.

Dub is once again reunited with and will be buried beside his beloved sons, Derek S. (WOP), who died 12/13/2002 and Joseph W. (Joey), who died 3/26/2014. Along with his parents, he was also predeceased by siblings, Sheila (in infancy), Weldon (1980), Phil (2007), Galen (2004), and James (2020).

Personalized arrangements are under the professional supervision of the ROBERT B. FERGUSON FUNERAL HOME, 105 SPRING STREET, SCOTTDALE (www.fergusonfunerals.com).  Family and friends will be received from 2-4 & 6-8 PM Friday, April 26, 2024 and 10-11 AM Saturday in the funeral home chapel where funeral services will be held at 11 AM Saturday with Pastor Brian Swan officiating. Graveside committal service and interment will follow in Alverton Cemetery with full military honors bestowed by the Scottdale-Everson Honor Guard.

Donations in Dub’s name can be made to:
Westmoreland County Area Agency on Aging, 200 S Main St, Greensburg, PA 15601  Or: Open Your Heart to a Senior, 521 Plymouth Avenue, Greensburg, PA 15601.