Anna Leona Bailey passed away peacefully on January 3, 2011 at Haro Park Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the age of 91. Recently predeceased by her daughter, Linda G.M. Bailey (December 3, 2009).

She will be so lovingly remembered and so sadly missed by her daughter Jill Finlayson; grandchildren Jillian Johnston (Wayne Ohman); Michael Johnston; Miles and Anna Finlayson; Chris Panton (Lisa Panton); nieces Vera (Gabor Gigler) and Szilvia Schreiner, in Hungary; great-grandchildren: Nicklas and Madeline Ohman; former husband Peter Bailey; son-in-law Paul Huffington; numerous family, friends and acquaintances in Hungary, England, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Anna Leona Nagy was born on July 26th 1919 in rural Hungary. Life was very challenging for the hard-working family. Her father Joszef, (master shoemaker and choirmaster) and mother Maria (a highly skilled dressmaker) taught Anna the gifts of love of endless education, hard work and self-reliance. Anna began working at age 11 delivering newspapers in her village to the few spread out households that could afford to purchase one. The sack was very heavy for her little shoulders and she would resort to dragging it along the snow in winter time to lighten the load.
A few years after the tragic loss of her mother when she was 12, Anna was sent away to Budapest to work by age 15.  After the passing of her beloved father when she was 18, Anna sought ways to improve on her survival chances. A sponsorship by WWI English Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt took Anna to England to work and learn the English language – a goal which she had mastered beautifully by her later years. When the Second World War was about to break out, Anna tried to get back to Hungary but just missed last boat home.  Another employment opportunity took her to Windlesham, Surrey. While working there, Anna met her future husband Peter Bailey when he came to the house selling tickets to the Policeman’s Ball. Her employer purchased tickets for his staff and when Anna went, she and Peter met again. They were married on October 3rd. 1942 in Camberley, Surrey, England. Their first daughter, Linda was born during the period of the flying bombs in London in September, 1943. Their second daughter Jill was born in 1947.
Anna brought her 2 daughters to Canada in 1964 in hopes of giving them an easier life.  After 2 years of hard work, Anna accepted an invitation by a friend to live and work in South Africa which gave Anna a break of seven very happy and carefree years there.  She returned to Canada in 1970 to live near daughter Linda in Vancouver. Here, Anna Bailey worked for many years at Langara College and enjoyed the closeness of a growing family with her daughter and grandchildren nearby while delighting in her lovely home overlooking English Bay and walking in her beloved Stanley Park.

Anna Bailey will be remembered for her wonderful sense of humour, her common-sense approach to life and obstacles, her self-discipline, her deep care for humanity and nature, her courage, brilliant intellect, hunger for knowledge, love of literature, history, music and all expressions of artistic and cultural excellence. She walked lightly on the earth, never wasted and was always careful.
A proud and noble woman has gone on ahead and left us with so much wisdom to draw from.
Anna was truly loved and is already deeply missed.