Obituary of Barbara Bailey Avery

Irondequoit: Barbara Avery died on January 5, 2025 with her family by her side at the age of 93. Born in the coal town of Carbondale, PA to Desmond Mark Bailey, M.D. and Frances (Chapman) Bailey, Barbara grew up during the Depression watching her father provide medical care to the community, often being paid in produce or services. She enjoyed spending time at Crystal Lake as an excellent swimmer and lifeguard. Barbara graduated from Central High School in Scranton, PA, riding the train every day to attend school.  Another rider on the train was Robert W. Avery (Bob) who lived a few houses up the street from her and was attending the University of Scranton for his undergraduate degree. They dated occasionally. Bob continued on to Cornell Law School where he earned his Juris Doctoris Degree, and Barbara attended Vassar College.  She was involved in a near fatal car crash the following summer and stayed in Carbondale to recover.  Barbara and Bob’s relationship grew more serious during this time. Barb returned to Vassar and completed her B.A. in zoology.  They decided to get married at a close friend’s home in New Jersey in 1954 during Bob’s military service in the United States Army where he served at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  During her time there, Barb completed her Medical Technology Degree (American Society of Clinical Pathologists) at Wesley Hospital in Oklahoma City, OK, and soon after, had their first child, Charles, (Chuck) who preceded both Bob and Barb in death.  Bob received an honorable discharge in 1955, and the family moved to Rochester, NY. He worked for several law firms until 1967 when Bob joined the Monroe County’s District Attorney’s Office as Assistant District Attorney.  Their son James (Jim) was born just prior to moving to their home of 60 years on Somershire Drive in Irondequoit, NY. Kathryn (Katy) followed 3 years later.   Barb was proud of her gardens, particularly her beautiful roses, and enjoyed accompanying Bob to his Masons’ events.  She and Bob relished spending all their free time at “the farm”, forty-six acres of land in Cohocton, NY, with a one hundred year old farmhouse they enjoyed refurbishing. Barb was a sudoku master and loved jigsaw puzzles, America’s Got Talent, and music, especially Lawrence Welk.  Well known for her career in the medical technology field, Barbara served in the admissions department of Rochester General Hospital following decades working as a medical technologist at that hospital beginning in 1959. She also worked at Thompson Hospital (Canandaigua), St. Mary’s, and Park Ridge Hospitals in the same capacity and earned her Specialist in Blood Banking Techniques from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.  From 1968-1971 Barbara worked diligently at the Red Cross in the blood bank. Barb served as the Executive Secretary of the Empire State Association for Medical Technology for over 20 years and helped provide artifacts for the Rochester Regional Health Archives.  Barbara is pre-deceased by her husband, Robert W. Avery, and son, Charles Avery. She is survived by her son James (Rita) Avery, her daughter Kathryn (Alan) Liotta, and daughter-in-law Cheryl Avery. She has five surviving grandchildren, Kristina (Thomas) Garavaglia; Jon-Erik  (Khailey) Avery; Jay (Caitlin Hawley) Liotta; Christopher (Noel) Liotta; and Kerrie (Edward) Avery-Natale. She also has seven great grandchildren, Ava Garavaglia, Vincent Garavaglia, Coen-James Avery, Benjamin Liotta, Liam Liotta, Avery Liotta, and Emerson Avery-Natale.

Her family will receive friends at the Paul W. Harris funeral home (570 Kings Highway South) Thursday, January 9, 4pm to 7pm.  Private interment will be at Willow View Cemetery, Clifford, PA. To share a memory or send the family a condolence, please visit www.harrisfuneralhome.com  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, St. Jude’s, or Lollipop Farm Humane Society.