Elnora F. Bailey Obituary
On February 20, 2024, surrounded by her children and family, Elnora Florine Bailey, transitioned
home to be with her Lord and Savior! She departed this journey with praises on her lips and was
received into glory hearing the words “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been
faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's
happiness!
Elnora was born to Sallie Mae White and Joe Ryland White on April 19, 1940, in Portsmouth
VA. She was the youngest of three children and was preceded in death by her two brothers James
White Sr. (Pearlie) and Hallet R. White (Evelyn). She met her husband, Albert S. Bailey Jr.
(deceased) while residing in Portsmouth, VA through a mutual friend. They were married June
14, 1960, in Washington D.C. Their union produced four children: Bridget, Kimberly, Keenan,
and Stefan.
Elnora’s mother, Sallie Mae was instrumental in her salvation. She introduced her to the Bible
Broadcasting Network (BBN) and as a result, Elnora gave her life to Christ in the early 70s.
Some of the ministry leaders that influenced her spiritual journey were Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Dr.
Oliver B. Green, Dr. Charles Stanley, and Dr. David Jeremiah. They were influential in shaping
her spiritual walk and it changed the trajectory of her life and family.
In her youth, she was a member of Vermont Ave. Baptist Church in Washington D.C. When she
moved back to Portsmouth, VA she was a member of the following ministries in succession: Mt.
Calvary Baptist Church, Third Baptist Church, Centennial Baptist Church, and finally Calvary
Evangelical Baptist Church until she transitioned to her eternal home. She continued to grow in
her faith by attending Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Baptist Training Union (BTU), and
Bible Study. She also served on the Prayer Team and in the Choir. In addition, she voluntarily
assisted senior members by taking them to various appointments.
Elnora was educated in the public-school systems of Portsmouth, VA, and the District of
Colombia. She graduated from I.C. Norcom High School in 1959. Because of her advanced
studies in English, she represented her high school in a local parade as Miss English! She
attended business school to further her education and specialized training to help her begin her
career in banking.
Through Bank of America’s many transitions and mergers; God kept Elnora gainfully employed.
She was able to maintain a career that spanned 26 years of employment with various positions
throughout the bank. She worked in Card Services, Debt Management, Bankruptcy, and finally
the Mailroom. Elnora was part of a group that was awarded a trip to St. Thomas Virgin Islands
for being a top performer. She retired in August of 2003 with one request, that her name be
displayed on a marquee surrounded by lights!
Elnora had many challenges in her life; however, she was a woman of faith. She was diagnosed
with breast cancer in 2004, went into remission until she had a recurrence in 2009. After beating
cancer, she had a stroke in December 2011 which left her left side incapacitated. Due to her
health challenges and to provide more support, the family decided to relocate her to North

Carolina, where her daughter Kimberly became her primary caregiver and full power of attorney.
Elnora was a fighter! Her health had her in/out of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
She refused to give up and had a desire to get better. After physical therapy and rehabilitation,
she was able to regain some movement. Even though she was wheelchair bound, she was able to
be mobile and manage (with assistance) some of her personal routines within a skilled facility.
During these challenging times, God kept her!
There was a point in her medical journey where her health took a turn – she lost her appetite and
subsequently had several bouts of pneumonia, which led to her becoming bedridden. Though her
health had changed, Jesus was still her foundation. She still read Bible-based devotionals, when
she felt well enough. Periodically, she would watch Beracah Baptist Church, where her son
Stefan is Pastor. Elnora loved watching the Hallmark Channel and HGTV. Her favorite Hallmark
movie was, Unleashing Mr. Darcy. In addition, she loved to look at the pictures of her family
posted all over her walls. Every nurse and CNA would get an earful of how proud she was of her
family whenever they walked into her room.
While Elnora was in Charlotte, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was designated as her
spiritual covering church. She was blessed with many caring members and staff that always
asked how she was doing when she wasn’t at church. She made special friends with a few of the
deacons at Friendship.
Even though she was bedridden, her strong-willed nature did not waver. She had to learn to
embrace the concept of the Serenity Prayer within her new normal: by accepting the things she
could not, being courageous to change the things she could, and having the wisdom to know the
difference.
To cherish her memory, she is succeeded by her two daughters, Bridget Johnson (Mark),
Kimberly Wright (Otis), son, Pastor Stefan Bailey (Shenita): seven grandchildren, Jeremy and
Justin Wright, Mark Jr. (Octavia) and Anthony Johnson, Christian Bailey, Simone Picou Bennett
(Grant), Gabrielle Johnson; two great grandchildren, Aiden Johnson and River Bennett, in
addition to in-laws, a number of nieces and nephews and a host of friends and coworkers. She
was preceded in death by her husband Albert S. Bailey Jr. and her son Keenan S. Bailey
(Cecilia).