Longtime North Henderson High theater teacher dies from brain cancer at 35

HENDERSONVILLE - A North Henderson High School theater teacher who has battled brain cancer for the past 6 1/2 years has died.

Shuler Funeral Home announced that Sydney Katherine Bailey of Hendersonville died on May 14, Mother's Day, at the age of 35, and according to the obituary, she was "a brilliant writer, a beloved theater teacher, the absolute best nephew aunt and above all else, an amazing mother."

"The North Henderson High family has suffered a tremendous loss," North Henderson High Principal John Shepard told the Times-News on May 23. "Mrs. Bailey was very special to our students and staff. She was an exceptional teacher, artist and teammate. Most importantly, Mrs. Bailey was a fantastic mother to her daughter and a mentor to her students. Her impact on the students of North Henderson will live on for years to come. Through her life and her fight against cancer, she has taught us the value of family and modeled true strength."

According to Henderson County Public Schools, Bailey was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare type of brain tumor, in 2016. A Mr. West Henderson Pageant was held last week to raise funds for Bailey's family and also the family of Aidan Burnette, an eighth-grader at Flat Rock Middle School who was hit by a car after getting off the bus in February. The goal was to raise $6,000, but the pageant ended up raising $13,000 to go to both families.

According to Bailey's obituary from Shuler Funeral Home, she was born in 1988 in Miami, Florida, and spent much of her childhood in Hendersonville. Her late mother, Wendy Wilkins Bailey, worked in the world of theater all along the East Coast for the first eight years of her life, primarily jumping between Disney World and Flat Rock Playhouse, finally settling at home in Hendersonville.

Bailey attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she received her degree in dramatic writing in December 2009. In the fall of 2013, she was hired as a theater teacher at North Henderson. Sue Moon, a longtime North Henderson teacher and volleyball coach, has helped organize many Vs. Cancer events through the years and called Bailey an inspiration to everyone.

"She helped to change lives and made life better for so many. She never gave up. She refused to allow cancer to define her," Moon said. "She indeed fought like a Knight. She was a wonderful teacher and loved her students to the core. She was a trusted and valued colleague to all of the North Henderson faculty and staff. To know her was to know that you had someone that would be a confidant, mentor, friend and would provide a safe place if you needed one.

"She was accepting and affirming of everyone she encountered. We want to remember her life and legacy here as a part of the North Henderson family and we will remember her family, her smile, her devotion, her fight and her example."

Bailey is preceded in death by her parents, Bruce Bailey and Wendy Wilkins Bailey; grandparents, George and Teal Wilkins; uncle, George Wilkins Jr.; and cousin, Christopher Wilkins. According to her obituary, she is survived by her daughter, Hayes Wilkins Bailey; husband, Jeffrey Thompson; father, Riccardo Hernández; "bonus mom," Julie E. Smith; siblings, Katie Bailey, Molly Bailey, Teo Hernández, Lucas Hernández; brother-in-law, Andrew Sigmon; nephews, Luke Collazo, Jude Collazo, Callum Bailey Enzor; many aunts, uncles and cousins and lifelong friends, students, Hot Dog Queen Gretchen Weiners and Fairy Godmothers Allison, Amycoco, and Kk.

There will be a celebratory gathering to honor Bailey's life on June 24 at the North Henderson High auditorium, but the time hasn't been determined yet, the family said. It will be announced soon.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at gifts.Duke.edu. Donations can also be made by mail. Checks should be made payable to the Tisch Brain Tumor Center and sent to The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710. Donations may also be made to the Hayes Wilkins Bailey education fund at: https://gofund.me/a0cf4040.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: North Henderson theater teacher dies from brain cancer at the age of 35