Many University of Alabama students knew Jan Tillery-Bailey, who passed away Sept. 1 in a Birmingham hospital after an extended illness, as the wife of former UA President Guy Bailey. For others, Tillery-Bailey will be remembered as a valuable friend, wife and colleague.

Tillery-Bailey, who retired as a linguistics professor in 2008 for health reasons, worked alongside her husband, as well as with colleague Thomas Wikle, in linguistic research at Oklahoma State University.

Wikle, assiociate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at OSU, served as a geographer alongside the two linguists and remembers Tillery-Bailey as a “very smart, intuitive researcher.”

“She was a very sharp individual,” Wikle said. “I knew her to be a very good researcher, very thorough and very astute in making observations. Dr. Tillery was an excellent writer.”

The Baileys collaborated together often, and Wikle, who described Tillery-Bailey as “an idea person,” joined them to investigate topics like the usage of “y’all,” a project funded by the National Geographic Society. Wikle attributed her interest in linguistics to a reflection of Tillery-Bailey herself.

“She had a close connection with her Texas roots,” Wikle said. “She was very much a Southern woman.”

Wikle said Tillery-Bailey was very kind and had a wonderful sense of humor.

“As far as working with her, I always found her to be really generous with her time,” he said. “Just a really solid person to work with.”

Wikle, whose family maintained a personal friendship with the Baileys, described the couple as one that found a way to work together and be a real research team.

“But as husband and wife, they were a wonderful couple to spend time with,” Wikle said. “I just remember them as being very much in love, very devoted to each other.”

After replacing Robert Witt as UA President on Sept. 3, 2012, Bailey’s devotion to his wife and her health was cited as the reason for him leaving office on Oct. 31, 2012. He served 57 days as president.

“I think it’s a very courageous thing that he did,” Wikle said. “He loved Alabama. He was a student at Alabama and loves Alabama. I think under different circumstances he would still be president. But he put his love for his wife ahead of his professional work … He was very devoted to her.”

Jan Kruse served as Bailey’s executive assistant when he was provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where Tillery-Bailey also taught. Kruse said Bailey’s resignation was indicative of the bond he and his wife shared.

“They were in tune,” Kruse said. “They were very close – a very loving, caring couple.”

Kruse said Tillery-Bailey was a wonderful teacher and friend who was a great supporter of the social activities at the schools where she and her husband worked.

“She loved teaching, she loved her students, and the students who took her class also had the very highest regard for her,” Kruse said. “As a team, they were both student advocates, and they wrote several articles together. Where you saw one, you saw the other one, because they were a team.”

Tillery-Bailey’s parents, both teachers, passed on their love of education, as well as a love for Texas Tech football. Her father’s involvement with the football program led Tillery-Bailey to be an outspoken fan, Kruse said.

“If the referees made the wrong call, she would let them know that from the stands. She was an upbeat, happy, jovial, positive person,” Kruse said. “And she loved students. She changed their lives but will always live in their hearts, and we know she is always with us in spirit.”

In an emailed statement released shortly after Tillery-Bailey’s passing, UA President Judy Bonner said the thoughts and prayers of the entire UA family were with the Baileys.

“The University of Alabama is deeply saddened over the passing of Dr. Jan Tillery-Bailey and wishes to extend our heartfelt sympathies to Guy and their entire family,” Bonner said. “Everyone who got to know Jan was inspired by her courage, her spirit and her determination.”

A service for Tillery-Bailey was held Monday, Sept. 9 at the Kent R. Hance Chapel at Texas Tech University. She was an alumna of the school, and contributions to the Tillery Family Athletic Scholarship Endowment will be accepted in lieu of flowers.

Tillery-Bailey was 63.