Rob Bailey

Rob Bailey, age 60, of Yankton, South Dakota, died suddenly on April 26, 2024, at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital ICU in Yankton, South Dakota.

A memorial service will be 2:00 PM on June 8, 2024, at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton, South Dakota.  The family will receive friends one hour prior to the memorial service at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the family to be used according to Rob’s wishes.  Donations can be sent to Wintz & Ray Funeral Home, c/o Margaret Bailey, 2901 Douglas Avenue, Yankton, South Dakota, 57078.

Robby Dee Bailey was born November 16, 1963, in Brookfield, Missouri, to Don and Marilyn Bailey.  He grew up in Maywood, Missouri and graduated from Highland High School in Ewing, Missouri.  He then attended the University of Missouri, Rolla, where he was a proud member of Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity.  He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Metallurgy.  Rob traveled all around the United States and even overseas working various jobs in the Metal Industry.  He started B. S. Metallurgy and was often called in as a consultant and problem solver for several projects.  He married Margaret Copchunis on April 5, 1997, in Madison, Wisconsin.  They continued to move all over the United States for Rob’s work and in 2019 moved to Yankton, South Dakota, where Rob worked as a metallurgical engineer for Hydro.

Rob was a fascinating man and world traveler.  People were drawn to him to hear about the places he’d been and the things he’d done.  He loved telling stories, entertaining and was easy to talk to.  He had a great sense of humor and loved making Margaret laugh.  In his youth he enjoyed weightlifting and playing football.  He enjoyed fishing, history, the Kansas City Chiefs, and playing strategy games on the computer.  He loved the process of everything, whether it was cooking or making wine.  He loved his wife most of all and loved spending time with her in their garden, or just hanging out together.  As he would often say, “I’m a shooting star that might not burn for long, but while I’m here I’ll burn bright.”

Survivors include his wife, Margaret Bailey of Yankton, South Dakota; sister, Kristi (Paul) Rasmussen of Savannah, Missouri; niece, Katarina Rasmussen of Savannah; sisters-in-law: Dorothy (Paul) Gorman of Madison, Wisconsin; Kathleen Mudloff of Lebanon, Missouri and their families.

He was preceded in death by his father, Don Bailey; mother and step-father, Marilyn and Fred Raleigh; and father and mother-in-law, John and Marie Copchunis.