Bailey's Funeral Home shut down

FREDERICKSBURG — In business since 1954, Bailey’s Funeral Services’ license has been suspended by the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers as of Sept. 9.

“Based upon the evidence considered,” reads a letter from the board, “having determined that the operations of Bailey Funeral Service pose a substantial danger to the public health and safety, the Board voted summarily to suspend the facility’s license to operate as a funeral service establishment pending a hearing.”

That hearing will be held Oct. 23, at which time the business may make a case to continue business.

The board charges the business with the following:

- That Bailey’s failed to deposit money from 21 preneed contracts into trust accounts or insurance contracts from 1986 to 2009 and instead went to Ambrose Bailey’s personal account or the business’s operating account

- That Ambrose Bailey continued to negotiate preneed contracts after his own license was suspended

- That business founder Weldon Bailey had signed forms as embalmer when in fact an unlicensed person had performed the work

- Expired licenses of funeral personnel were posted

- There were “unclean” conditions in the building’s preparation room.

“He’s a person in the neighborhood,” said lifelong Stafford resident Eugene Hamn. He stated the he did not want to say anything to “stand on the man’s neck, but there’s nothing I can say to lift him up.”

He felt the situation was “sad,” but that it wasn’t the first time a funeral home had done “something like this.”

He stated his family had dealt with Bailey’s Funeral Service before and had no complaints about their service.

Ernest “Butch” Hawkins of Stafford said he was “shocked” to hear the news.

“It’s hard to believe...As far as I know, [the Baileys] are very good people,” he said. “Mr. Bailey, Mrs. Bailey and Ambrose are all very nice people.”

Ambrose is due to be heard Dec. 16 in the Fredericksburg Circuit Court on 22 counts of forgery that date back to 2005.

In regard to the business’s license being suspended, she said “I’m very sorry to see this happen. It’s really sad.”

“It’s a little disappointing,” said Jackie Sanders. “It’s the funeral home black people trusted and relied on,” she said.

Jim Lawrence is a contributing writer for the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at info@staffordcountysun.com.