Bailee Booher (Bay Bay, B, Queen B, Beeseley) 9/10/2011 - 2/8/2024
Bailee - our beloved tricolored beagle girl, favorite nap companion, bed hog, snack stealer, table beggar, scent tracker, persistent pup, patient friend, forgiving heart, and loyalist love, left a gaping hole in our hearts as she left this world on Thursday, 2/8/24. She is survived by her fur mom and dad, Matt and Amber Booher and her rambunctious, energy-filled and patience testing brother Brooks Booher.
Bailee became a part of our family before we were even a family, hand-picked by Matt as a dating gift surprise for Amber. She was 8 weeks old and was presented in the sweetest purple “I’m snow adorable shirt”. She was barely bigger than 2 hand palms placed together. To add to the fun, she was picked without parental permission from Amber’s parents, whom she still lived with at the time, until they got married roughly 3 years later. Luckily she was cute, and stole the hearts of all her extended family and was welcomed excitedly into their home before her actual home.
Bailee was the most precious companion. She grew up, much like her parents grew up. She was a present pup at every major milestone; engagement and finishing college, to marriage, their first apartment to their first home, starting their career jobs to the current roles, to the most recent transition to parenthood (the human kind). Every memory our family has shared together she was a part of. She also was the biggest comforter through seasons of maturing, hardship and grave hurt. She carried our wounds and disappointments with contented joy and allowed us all the pet therapy worthy snuggles and tear absorption a person could need.
Bailee was a spunky, stubborn, scent-willed beagle at her prime that loved to eat. In her youngest days, she took us on plenty of escape runs in cow pastures and neighborhoods because her nose just got the best of her in leading her off the straight and narrow and into scent discovery wonder. Her big brown eyes were perfect for swooning table food or bites of snacks - which she did a little too much of. You couldn’t eat chicken of any kind without her seeking in desperation the smallest sample. Her characteristic Bay set her apart from other dogs that she’d let out to make you know she felt left out of the conversation , she wants what you are eating, or in times of play with her toy nemesis’s. Being an inside girl, she often spent extra time “burying or hiding her new toys” in beds, couches, and wide open corners after digging blankets, pillows, and cushions at just the right amount to place new treasure. She’d then proceed to rest because digging inside proved to be exhausting. She loved car rides with the windows down, her velvet ears waving in the wind and walks outside anywhere with her favorite people.
In her older years, Bailee was the gentlest spirit. Her days were not as active and reckless, but more of quiet reserve soaked in quality time. Although her health failed her in many ways, as she found herself battling vertigo, liver failure, degenerative disc disease, and most recently end stage renal failure, she still took on her days with the simplest approach of excited expectation to see morning come and a new day of adventures begin. She loved snoozing in her corner of the sectional with the pillows tucked under her chin just right, and stretching as wide as she could at the foot of her parents bed for Sunday afternoon naps and night time snuggles. She also, even when unable to run and welcome us home after a day of being out, would stand up tail wagging with kisses given and follow us at our heels to let us know we were missed. Her tested patience proved to be more grace giving than it had to be most recently after all the chase, rough snuggles, and rambunctious energy she was exposed to through her toddler brother. Even when learning gentle touches, Bailee never ceased to receive even his love with the most open reception.
The absence felt without her has been almost too much to bear. Seeing her spaces lay empty, her bowls lay untouched, and our daily routine of med giving, treat providing and potty breaks ceasing have uprooted our everyday in more ways than we expected. The longing to bury our faces in her aging white, tricolored fur to get one last hug and kissing her velvet ears in affection after a long day are so a part of who we are, our family feels incomplete. The lack of her trying to get Brooks’s food and him laughing in delight over her attempts, to her quiet toe taps on the hardwood to start the morning or bridge the afternoon make everything feel deathly silent.
But, in the presence of so much grief, sadness, and longing is great gratitude. Thankfulness to the Lord to create such an amazing girl to have loved for over 12 years and do life with. Thankful for his grace over her failing health to have provided us more opportunities for naps and memory making than we originally were projected to enjoy. But most of all, for the reminders of his love - felt in the way she loved us in our most unlovable, impatient moments with her and in life. She was a wellspring of his character and a faithful friend.
We long to see you again - healed and happy and full of life. Until then, as we pick up the pieces, we pray the evidence of you never leaves our lives or our home. We loved you more than you’ll ever know. You truly were our favorite hello and hardest goodbye.
