Geraldine “Gerri” M. Bayliss, 92, of Winchester, passed away peacefully, July 18, 2021 at Spring Arbor of Winchester with family by her side. She was born January 6, 1929, fifteen minutes before her twin sister “Freddie” in Queens, NY. The daughter of the late Alfred Miller Gill and Goldie Jones Gill.
Gerri lived in New York for the first five years of her life when their family moved to Gould Arkansas to live on her grandparent’s farm. Three years later they moved to Washington DC. In 1947 she graduated from Western High School in N.W. DC where she was president of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, and a member of The Civic League. She was employed as an Instructional Teacher’s Aide for 12 years at Quarles Elementary School in Winchester. She was a member of Opequon Presbyterian Church for 70 years where she taught many children as a Sunday School Teacher.
Gerri influenced many lives in her 92 years, but perhaps none more so than her close to 40 years as a Reiki Master Teacher. Teaching Reiki to over 85 people, she looked forward to her weekly Monday Morning Reiki group.
She and her twin sister married college roommates, both engineering students at the University of Virginia. Gerri married Roy W. Bayliss Jr. on June 13, 1950. He preceded her in death on June 18, 2016.
She is survived by her four sons Roy William “Bill” Bayliss III (Pam), Steven Philip Bayliss, Daniel Scott Bayliss (Sylvie) and Brian Gill Bayliss (Jennifer) and her grandchildren Roy William Bayliss IV, James Harrison Bayliss, Jenavieve Hoover, Rachel Turman Bayliss and Audrey Turman Bayliss.
In addition to her husband and parents Gerri was also preceded in death by her twin sister Alfredine “Freddie” G. Fox, and her husband Mike.
Relatives and friends are invited to her Celebration of Life at 3PM on Saturday July 31 at Opequon Presbyterian Church, 217 Opequon Church Lane, Winchester, VA 22602. Interment will be private. The service will be livestreamed on YouTube by searching for Opequon Presbyterian Church.
In lieu of flowers, Memorial Contributions in memory of Gerri may be sent to Opequon Presbyterian Church, 217 Opequon Church Lane, Winchester, VA 22602 or to any local hospice of the donor’s choice.