Friday Knoxville lost one of its own. Former City Councilman and Professional baseball player Ed Bailey passed away.

Ed was a colorful guy, he would always make you smile. I remember fondly the Duncan family BBQ just this past October. There was a lot of talk on the floor about all these Democrat candidates crashing our Republican Congressman’s event.

While Ed and I were talking, the Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate (you know State Senator John Ford’s nephew) walks up and Ed asks him what he is doing there. He says that the Congressman invited him. Ed let him know that was bunk. The Democrat turns to me and says Hello, Mr. Chairman to witch he and I had words. He walked off and left shortly there after.

I tell that story to say it was an honor to have Ed Bailey’s back that night and to know that he had mine.

Ed Bailey will be missed. He is a Knoxville treasure. He went off and made it big in professional baseball. He came back and committed his life to doing what was right. He always did what he believed was right and figured the rest would take care of itself.

I love the stories of when he would cast a controversial vote and get booed that he would say that he had gotten booed louder and worse than that before.

Ed will be missed. To Ed’s wife Betty; his sons and daughters-in-law, Jeff and Rebecca Bailey, Knoxville City Councilman Joe and Miechelle Bailey, Jack Bailey, Jim and Virginia Bailey thank you for sharing Ed with all of us for the past many years.