Richard Bailey Preacher

Richard Bailey Preacher passed away at Coastal Carolina Hospital, in Hardeeville, SC on Jan. 6th after a short illness. He was 89. He was known as Bailey, and to some of his select friends as Mule.

The Memorial Service will be held at Ridgeland Baptist Church at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14th. Several of his well loved pastors and friends will be officiating. The family will receive friends beginning at 1:00 pm until the hour of the service at the church. Sauls Funeral Home will be handling the burial arrangements at Ridgeland Cemetery at a later date and time with a family service.

Richard Bailey was born in Ridgeland on June 15th, 1930 to William and Agnes (Bailey) Preacher. He attended Ridgeland schools and then graduated Clemson College in 1952. He was married to and survived by his wife Rita (Childress) and has one son Richard Bailey Preacher Jr. and two daughters, Melissa Attenhofer, and Suzanne Napoleon, and one sister, Lucy Hall. He was preceded in death by his brother Billy who was killed during the Korean conflict. He has several grandchildren and great grandchildren, and two nephews.

Bailey graduated Clemson and returned to Ridgeland to operate a Western Auto General Hardware store and became very involved in his community. He was a member of the Jaycees, the Chamber of Commerce, Ridgeland Business Development, and Jasper School board, as well as other Jasper County development boards and organizations.

He served 4 years in the Army, and after his brother Billy was killed in Korea, he served 27 years in the National Guard.

In later years after retiring from Western Auto he and his best friend Dick Gillory renovated and created an apartment complex from the previous Ridgeland Hospital. This was one of his favorite projects. He went on to be a crucial part of the development of Jasper Station, the first major development at the intersection of I-95 and Main Street in Ridgeland, and worked with many of his close friends and church associates on other developments as well. He donated the land for the Blue Heron Nature Center and Trail, which was also land that was family land, and its creation and development was because of his generous donation.

He was a devoted Christian and baptist and was a member of Ridgeland Baptist church where he also served as a deacon. He also attended other churches in the area where he had many friends.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to a Jasper County charity or Ridgeland S.C. charity of your choice, as he loved his community and was passionate about its continuing development. 

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