Bailes leaves a legacy of compassion for disabled
Jacqueline “Jackie” Bailes, an advocate for children with disabilities and a community leader in Orlando for more than six decades, died Sunday at her home in Bay Hill. She was 90.
“[Bailes] made it her passion to keep on with her father’s legacy to make sure children with disabilities of all kinds had a place to go, had services and had love and were able to stay home with their families,” said Dr. Ilene Wilkins, CEO of UCP of Central Florida, which was often the benefactor of Bailes’ generosity.
Bailes’ father, Jack Holloway, founded ABC Fine Wine & Spirits in Orlando in 1936. Bailes had a brother, John, who was born with cerebral palsy. Another brother, also named John, was not disabled. He survives his sister.
“Back then, we didn’t have services [for cerebral palsy] in our community,” Wilkins said.
John was sent to Kentucky for treatment and education.
UCP (then United Cerebral Palsy) of Central Florida opened its first location in Orlando in 1955, with Bailes and her family being large early supporters.
Over the years, Bailes worked directly with the organization on fundraising efforts. But her involvement wasn’t limited to monetary contributions. “She would visit the children,” Wilkins said. “She loved to come and play.”
As the community grew, so did the special needs of area children. With Bailes’ blessing, UCP began to branch into supporting children with other disabilities. It also opened inclusive charter schools for kids with and without disabilities.
“She loved the idea of inclusion,” Wilkins said. “Kids don’t see each other as different. Kids are just kids.”
In 1993, Bailes founded UCP’s signature gala, which every year raises more than $500,000 for the organization. Several years ago, UCP created the Jackie Bailes Legacy Award and surprised her by giving her the inaugural trophy.
Wilkins estimates that Bailes’ direct contributions and fundraising efforts throughout her life to be in the tens of millions of dollars. UCP now has eight campuses in metro Orlando, with two near UCF named for her.
In honor of her passing, UCP has also created the Jackie Bailes Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Aside from fishing and cooking, Wilkins said Bailes’ largest passion was her family, who are still friends of the organization. One of her 11 grandchildren, Sean Kelly, is on UCP’s board of directors.
Even as Bailes became homebound late in life, she still made time to find out what was happening with her favorite charity. Wilkins says she was receiving calls from Bailes up until a month ago.
“She had a very distinctive voice,” she said. “She’d ask how things are going. We’d send her videos of the kids and she’d watch them on her iPad.”