Dykeman Waldron Baily III

Dykeman Waldron Baily III, known by everyone as Buddy Baily, passed away Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at the age of 93. He died peacefully and joyfully, with his three children present.

A Celebration of Life will be held at First Methodist Church, Morehead City, NC, on October 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. Prior to the service, the family will gather to receive visitors at 3:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Buddy was born on April 12, 1931, in Morehead City. He was the son of Dykeman Waldron Baily Jr. and Helen Lindsley Baily, herself known to many as Peaches. He married the love of his life, Betty Jo Midgett. They were married 53 years.

He was predeceased by Betty Jo, his parents and his sister, Lois Anne Jones.

He is survived by three children and their spouses, Diane Baily Fenton (Craig), William Baily (Nancy), and Dykeman Baily, IV (Loretta); eight grandchildren and their spouses, Dega Lancaster (Robert), Travis Baily (Paige), Katie Salter (Clint), Sabrina Brannon (Kevin), Dyckman Baily, V (Kristen), Lindsay Baily, Matthew Fenton (Camran), Willis Baily (Collette); and eleven great grandchildren, Zoe Baily, Baily Salter, Alexandra Baily, Hunter Brannon, Anna Kate Salter, Finley Brannon, Mason Lancaster, Victoria Baily, JW Baily, Caroline Baily, and Oliver Baily.

Buddy was a lifelong resident of Morehead City. He always believed anything beyond the Carteret County line was a foreign country, and wondered why anyone would ever want to leave.

He grew up in a family of hunters, going as a child with his grandfathers, father, and cousins. Hunting remained a family affair throughout his life until he became the great grandfather, hunting with his young great grandchildren. Throughout all the years, he enjoyed the camaraderie of many friends and family members on the hunts.

From his childhood years, he loved sailing. He started out with whatever he could find until he worked his way up to sailing a 20-foot spritsail skiff. He pestered the old captains on the Bogue Sound shores to learn everything he could. He began winning races as a teenager. The competition was fierce, but he came out with the trophy more often than not. He designed and built a fiberglass version of the spritsail skiff, on the theory that if the sailskiff was lighter, it would be faster than other sailboats. The Core Sounder, as he named his design, proved to be faster than he had hoped. He enjoyed even more racing success. As an older man, he took to building exquisite models of many of the boats he owned or that had been owned by his mentors over the years.

He was surrounded by family and friends his entire life. He enjoyed sitting on his porch swing, telling stories, and laughing with companions. The highlight of his week was church on Sunday and being with his church family. He was secure in his faith and looked forward to his life in heaven.

The family requests that donations be made to the First Methodist Church in his name, in lieu of flowers.

Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net.

Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC.