Skip to Navigation
University of Pittsburgh
Print This Page Print this pages

December 6, 2012

Obituary: William K. “Bill” Bailey

Bailey4Funeral services were held Nov. 27 for Facilities Management staff member William K. “Bill” Bailey, who died Nov. 23, 2012, of a heart attack.

Bailey, 54, joined the University staff as a custodial supervisor in 2001 and was promoted to assistant manager of special events and projects two years later.

In that capacity, he worked closely with Pitt’s Office of Special Events and individual departments across the Pittsburgh campus. His duties included coordinating event needs from setup to breakdown, said Will Mitchell, who was Bailey’s supervisor.

Bailey also was a contract liaison for programs such as recycling, pest control and uniform procurement and was responsible for maintaining day-to-day operations of the custodial group, said Mitchell, senior manager of custodial services.

Bailey’s work put him in close contact with all ranks of Facilities Management staff and involved him with the entire University community from students to high-level administrators, Mitchell said.

Despite the pressure of ensuring that special events went smoothly, Bailey was pleasant to work with and maintained his composure in all circumstances, he said. “Everyone loved Bill.”

Mitchell described Bailey as diligent in his work. “He would do anything necessary to make this University run as well as it can. He was a good steward and a great representative for the unit.”

Graham Park, director of the Office of Special Events, told the University Times: “Bill had an enormous job. He was exceptional at supervising complex event setups across campus for all departments, adjusting the requirements along the way. He made sure that the right elements were in place. He guided scores of staff through challenging projects.

“Event details stay with you around the clock and Bill was accessible at all hours,” Park said. “He handled the job, the people, the pressures with grace and a calm nature. We had a good run together through hallmark events at Pitt. I will be forever grateful for that.”

Chuck Turbanic, assistant vice chancellor for maintenance and operations, said Bailey was an avid golfer. He loved his family, taking special pride in his grandchildren, Colton and Gemma Ustazewski, Turbanic said.

At Pitt, Bailey took his job to heart, paying attention to detail, Turbanic said. “He was just the consummate professional. … You could tell he cared.”

Turbanic added: “I truly miss him. He’ll be very difficult to replace.”

Bailey was the father of four daughters: Brooke Ustazewski, a Pitt alumna; Lauren Bailey; Pitt senior Rebecca Bailey and sophomore Blair Bailey. He also is survived by his wife, Lisa; parents William and Caroline Bailey; sister and brother-in-law Denise and Daniel Weckoski, and son-in-law Chad Ustazewski.

—Kimberly K. Barlow

Filed under: Feature,Volume 45 Issue 8

Leave a Reply