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Campbell plans for fundraisers in memory of art teacher who passed away
CAMPBELL
Campbell Memorial High School’s classroom 313 often has been described as a “safe haven” by students and alumni.
The classroom housed Russell Bailey’s high-school art classes before he died suddenly from heart complications Sunday.
“The hallway by his class seems a lot more quiet and empty this week,” said Kirsten Hurd, a student at the high school. She added that his classroom door is plastered with letters and signs from students. “Our school’s not the same without him.”
Current Campbell students, alumni, parents and teachers have flooded social media with comments and pictures in memory of Bailey, the high-school’s art teacher. Bailey died Sunday morning at his Austintown home.
Friends and family stopped by calling hours for Bailey at Higgins-Reardon Funeral Homes in Canfield on Wednesday afternoon. His funeral is set for 10 a.m. today in Canfield.
Matt Bowen, Campbell schools superintendent, said several people have mentioned to him a need to create scholarships in Bailey’s honor. Bowen said no official plans have been made but he anticipates something will take place in Bailey’s honor.
“We want to unite the community and channel our efforts for him,” Bowen said. “We also don’t want to step on each others’ toes in considering fundraisers or scholarships in Bailey’s honor. There’s a lot of people who want to do these good things, but we need to unite first and pick a common direction.”
Maria Rohan, a Campbell alumna, is one individual who has plans to host a charity in Bailey’s honor. Rohan said she was one of Bailey’s first students when he began at the schools 17 years ago.
“My first year with him was his first year at Campbell schools — he was in the middle school then,” she said. “He moved up with me through the high school. And he really helped change my way of looking at art. I saw the imperfections in my art, but he would show me a different angle.”
Rohan and other former students explained his classroom was always a very “therapeutic” place where many students would gravitate. Rohan said she wants to host an art-supplies drive called “Brush Strokes for Bailey” to help support art-therapy programs in Northeast Ohio hospitals.
“The supplies will just be in his memory to help people,” she said. “The fingerprints [Bailey] left on me will never rub off, so I will put them in other places on more people.”