Carl Bailey Obituary

Carl Bailey ASHEVILLE, NC - The Rev. Dr. C. Lynn Bailey, DMin, MDiv, MSM, BM, OSB, STS, of Asheville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2025. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of over 52 years, Martha Busby Bailey, who passed on May 14, 2024. Born on March 12, 1944 in Lubbock, Texas, Lynn was adopted as an infant by Carl Merle Bailey and Marguerite Bailey. His early passion for music led him to perform with The Ravens and later with The Crickets following Buddy Holly's passing. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from Texas Tech University in 1967 and pursued advanced organ studies in Europe with Grethe Krogh in Copenhagen and Jean Langlais in Paris. Returning to the U.S., Lynn received a Master of Sacred Music from Union Theological Seminary in 1970. He served as organist and music director at St. John's Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, where he met Martha Busby. They married on December 26, 1971, and later adopted their son, Christopher, in 1978. Answering a call to ministry, Lynn earned a Master of Divinity cum laude from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1984 and was ordained that same year. His pastoral journey included roles at Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte, Reformation Lutheran Church in Columbia, St. Johannes Lutheran Church in Charleston, and Immanuel Lutheran Church in San Jose. He received his Doctor of Ministry in 1994 and joined the Society of the Holy Trinity in 2005. Even after retiring in 2012, Lynn remained active in ministry and music, serving in the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real and at Trinity Cathedral in San Jose. In 2016, he and Martha settled in Asheville and became members of Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher. Lynn is survived by his son, Christopher Bailey, and daughter-in-law, Suzanna Martin of West Palm Beach, FL; brothers-in-law, Bob Busby (Bonnie) of Asheville and Dr. Rudy Busby (Karen) of Salisbury; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins across North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, April 10, at 2:00 p.m., at Calvary Episcopal Church, 2840 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732. His remains will be cremated and interred beside his beloved Martha in the church columbarium.