October 20, 1983 - September 20, 2026
Bailey Lyn Kline, Ithaca, New York, a loving mother, daughter, sister and friend, passed away on September 20, 2026, just one month shy of her 43rd birthday, and we're all really pissed about it. Bailey gave a rare type of brain cancer a battle that lasted many years and she knocked cancer out many times during this 15 year fight. Her passing is an immeasurable loss for her family, as well as the many friends made throughout an adventurous life. Her caring nature, sense of humor, and zest for life leave a lasting impact on everyone who knew her.
Bailey was born in Ithaca, NY on October 20, 1983, to parents Eldred and Pamela (Jantz) Kline. She grew up in Willseyville with her sister and many family pets, including cats, dogs, goats, horses, and a cockatiel. She was athletic, running cross country and track, weightlifting, and playing volleyball and basketball in grade school, graduating from Candor Central Schools in 2000, one year early so she could study abroad. It was the start of many adventures.
Her study abroad placement took her to the small island of Sardinia in Italy, where she spent a year falling in love with the language, the people, and the culture, impacting the trajectory of her next chapter as she came home wanting to do more with the Italian language and converting to Catholicism. Seeking more travel and experiences, she studied at the University of South Carolina at Columbia before coming back to the Finger Lakes to get her Bachelor's Degree at Cornell University in Italian Studies and her Master's Degree in Teaching from SUNY Cortland.
Bailey taught Italian in several positions over the years, starting at Union Endicott Central School District in the Southern Tier, then as a lecturer at Cayuga Community College, Ithaca and Wells Colleges. She returned to grade school teaching in Solvay for another year before heading off to some new workplace adventures, including serving as a quality control agent for a hospitality company where she rated luxury hotel chains around the world as a mystery shopper. Her next few positions brought her back to her alma mater, working in Cornell's Energy Systems Institute, as an event coordinator, and on the Small Farms Project to support veterans who want to explore agriculture upon returning to civilian life. At that time, she also turned her passion for fitness into a business, getting certified as a personal trainer, working with cancer patients who would benefit from physical activity during treatment, and ultimately developing a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) class that included virtual components during the pandemic. She connected with so many people in her Brooktondale community through leading those fitness classes. Her most recent position brought her back to her teaching and language roots as an English as a New Language (ENL) teacher at Ithaca High School. No matter where she went or what she did, it was rarely about the job and always about the people – her students, and her coworkers - who became friends.
Without question the biggest love of her life would be her daughter, Cecilia Colvin who was born in 2012, and motherhood would become her greatest adventure of all. Together Bailey and Ceci were full of laughter, fun, and jokes. Bailey's light shines on through Ceci, and that is apparent through Ceci's spirit which is focused on the pursuit of knowledge and wonder for learning about the world. Since Ceci was a baby, Bailey showed the utmost love and support for Ceci and instilled a strong sense of independence and will in her daughter – a perfect summation of the tender, but firm parent she was throughout the years. Even as cancer treatments made her feel terrible or surgeries demanded downtime, she was Ceci's Mom at all times, raising an inquisitive, caring, driven young woman. Deep down, she always knew she needed to instill resiliency, which she did by example, and lived a full life while she could because brain cancer has its own timeline.
While she was married, she and her husband Tommy would camp, kayak, hike and enjoy being active parents. They traveled as a family, including going back to Italy multiple times so she could share the places she loved with the people she loved, and maintain the connections she had. Her host family, the Zidda's, especially her host sister, Elizabetta, who traveled here a few years ago, were like an extended family to her and still are today. Bailey and Ceci continued to travel together in later years, going to New York City, Belize, Costa Rica, and Bermuda. Their mother-daughter trips were intentional, treasured, and she was adamant about creating a scrapbook for Ceci to always remember their times together.
Throughout her life, Bailey made friends fast with people and sought out meaningful relationships everywhere she went. She had so much energy for life in general, but especially for those she loved, and that grew to become a wide circle of wonderful people. Many rallied around her with meal trains, helped with yardwork, walked her dog, gave Ceci rides to school and social events, and were by her side right up until the end. She was the kind of person you would do anything for because you know she would be there for you in return. Even as she was experiencing challenges from cancer, she would rather ask how you were doing.
She enjoyed gardening, growing vegetables and flowers, and a ton of garlic. She liked to cook, bake, eat good food and drink craft beers in the company of friends. She sang, played guitar thanks to lessons from her dad and his hand-crafted instruments, and loved music of all kinds. She liked watching shows or movies that would make her laugh, like Saturday Night Live, but spent most of her time outdoors or doing anything around the house, rarely sitting still. Antics, funny voices, and silliness were a big part of her daily life, especially with her daughter and their pup, Lola. Running and staying fit, eating clean and organic, and being really aware of what she put in her body and environment were always a priority for Bailey, even before a cancer diagnosis, and long before it was trendy or easy to do.
Bailey is survived by her daughter Cecilia Colvin, her parents Eldred and Pam Kline of Willseyville, her sister Jessica (Kenneth) Lang of Candor, her nephew Zachary and niece Zoey, her grandmother Joan Jantz of Candor, her ex-husband Thomas Colvin, aunts, uncles, cousins, and her loyal beagle Lola. Special thanks to Aunt Linda Schadle who provided lots of loving care and support for Bailey. She also leaves behind dozens of friends she made in her 42 years, going all the way back to kindergarten. Lizzy Martin, Scott and Kristin Morse, Brad Benjamin, Kristen Keuter, and Jessica Luisi to name a few of her closest friends, who feel blessed to have known her and will always miss her. Bailey goes on to be with loved ones who went before her, including her paternal grandparents Harry and Minwella Kline, maternal grandfather Paul Jantz, adored aunts and uncles, and her first beagle, Bea.
Bailey didn't want people to be solemn and sad after her passing. She wanted everyone to laugh and share stories, to keep the joy she had in life going forward among those who love her. Her celebration of life will be held at LaTourelle Inn located at 1150 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 on Monday, October 12, 2026. The family will receive visitors from 10:00am-11:45am, and the Celebration of Life event will begin at 12:00pm.
We can also honor her life by prioritizing our own, being the most fulfilled and healthy we can be, taking care of ourselves and those around us, being open to adventure, and making friends wherever we go.
Her family wishes to thank her many healthcare providers from over the years, including Dr. Krishnamurthy, Dr. Mix, NP Taryn Lindquist, Dr. Seth and Bob Crandall at Upstate Cancer Center; and all of the staff at Hospicare of Ithaca especially Zach, Tina, Lisa, Minu, Cathleen, Nicole, Courtney, and Stephanie. Special thanks to Lizzy Martin, aka "The Obitch," for writing this heartfelt tribute of Bailey's life.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the trust of Cecilia Colvin by mail to Tioga State Bank, PO Box 215, Candor, NY or drop off at 73 Main Street, Candor, NY. The family is being assisted by the Estey, Munroe & Fahey Funeral Home.
"We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls" - Anais Nin, French-born American writer
"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass" – Maya Angelou, Poet & Activist
