Mum Festival Grand Marshal Shares Life Story
Frings and Bayliff Funeral Home is a staple establishment in historic downtown Tipp City. The beautiful white building not only holds the funeral home but also a rich family history cherished by business owner Jim Bayliff.
Bayliff grew up in Cridersville, a small village just 45 minutes north of Tipp City. His father ran his own funeral home service where Jim lived, and he learned the ropes of the funeral business from just fourteen years old. Bayliff then graduated high school in 1958, moving on to college and mortuary school. However, instead of taking a role in the family business, he branched out into Greenville for an apprenticeship for two and a half years before moving to Grove City. After a short time in Grove City, Jim started his career in Tipp City under Mr. Otto Frings in 1965 and has worked in the funeral home ever since.
After Frings retired from the business in 1971, he sold the service to now-owner Bayliff, who has a warm appreciation for both his friendship with Frings and the time they spent working together. He says, “He’s been a big part of my life ever since I came here, so that’s why the name is still Frings and Bayliff because if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be what I am today.” Jim doesn’t only have an appreciation for Frings but for his career and the community. The funeral home business is truly a service for Bayliff.
His love for the job reverberates through each person he crosses paths with. Bayliff’s friendly nature, family values, and hardworking spirit make his service unique to Tipp City. The 84-year-old father has spent every day since his ownership not only working but teaching his children, just as his father taught him. Bayliff’s wife Pam is a licensed funeral director, and from his seven children, his daughter’s Lauryn, Lindsay, and Leighann are also experienced in funeral service. Lindsay joining him as a licensed associate carrying on the family business. While raising children in the home, Jim has realized that one of the things he’s found parallel to his childhood was the strive for perfection. As a child, Bayliff remembers setting up chairs and preparing for services and funerals, with his father shadowing and fixing each detail along the way. Now, he finds himself tidying and fixing each detail when working with his children and even watching as Lindsay perfects individual details as well.
With perfection comes care. Bayliff has been an important part of the Tipp City community for nearly sixty years. At that time, he had gotten to know just about everyone. When dealing with the loss of a friend or a loved one, there’s a certain comfort in a familiar face and a sense of knowing that you’re in good hands. That’s the type of service Jim Bayliff provides for everyone in Tipp City. Not only is Jim a talented and experienced funeral director, but he’s also a friend to everyone who opens the door to the funeral home. Bayliff says, “I’ve never felt like this was ever a job. The worst thing you can do is wake up on Monday morning and think, ‘Oh God, it’s another day I've got to go to work.’ I’ve never felt that way.” Bayliff's enthusiasm, perfectionism, and empathy, combined with his family values, are what make him the community staple that he is in Tipp City. Jim believes that the day he retires will be the day he wakes up and doesn’t want to go to work. With no retirement day in sight, Tipp City is lucky to have such a devoted and friendly community member to not only turn to in times of grief but also to watch as the grand marshal of the annual Mum Festival parade.