THOMAS SHELLEY VALLETTE BARTLETT

CASTINE and NAPLES, Fla. A treasure of a man died today, Sept. 18, 2006, in Castine, after a valiant fight against metastatic melanoma. Thomas Shelley Vallette Bartlett began what was to be a wonderful life, Feb. 12, 1923, in Brooklyn, N.Y. His parents were Frederic Smith “Rink” Bartlett and Margaret Vallette Bartlett. Tom’s father, a graduate of Annapolis, was stationed in Brooklyn at the time with the U.S. Navy. From his birth to his death, Tom spent time, usually summertime, in Cas-tine, at the longtime home of the Bartlett’s. As a child he spent summers here with his grandmother and when he had a family of his own, he brought them here during his vacations to enjoy the life he cherished. Tom’s family moved to Philadelphia and Tom attended Haverford School. While there, he exhibited his exceptional athletic skills as a member of the football team. In 1941, Tom enrolled at Bowdoin College. He became a member of the DKE fraternity and chose mathematics as his major. His college years were interrupted by World War II, when Tom joined the Navy. He trained to become a pilot in various locations and graduated from flight school in Pensacola, Fla. He was assigned to the VPB 28 Squadron, Jinamock Island, Philippines, and flew as copilot and navigator on PBM aircraft. Tom met his wife, Louise Reynolds, at flight school, where she was serving in the Navy as a link trainer. Tom married Louise, March 9, 1946, and brought her back to Maine, where he rejoined the Class of 1945, at Bowdoin. They were married for 56 years, until her death in 2002. After college, Tom was hired by General Refractories Co., Pittsburgh; a business that manufactured brick and mortar for steel plant boilers. His job was located in Chicago, and he spent his entire career with the company. He became the quintessential salesman that everyone who knew him could attest to. When he retired in 1989, he was the regional sales manager. Tom made many friends at work, those who worked for him, with him and his clients. He was exceptionally good at what he did and he was above all an artist when it came to knowing how to deal with people. He and his wife raised their three children in the Chicago area, Flossmoor in particular, during the 42 years that they lived there. A more ardent and accomplished outdoorsman would be hard to find. Tom spent his spare time playing good golf, sailing, catching fish all over the country, whitewater rafting, playing hockey with the neighborhood kids, skiing all over the country and the world. He also liked to pick up a clam hoe from time to time and go out with his friends to dig clams. He retired in 1989 and divided his time between Castine and Naples, Fla. Never one to be idle, he volunteered his services to Habitat for Humanity, Collier County, for more than 15 years. He also served on the board of directors of the Palm River Homeowners’ Association, where he was in charge of the beautification of the neighborhood. Summers in Castine found Tom greeting people on the streets, at church ringing the church bells, at the golf club and anywhere else he found them. Many peoples’ first memories of Castine center around a handshake and a welcoming smile from Tom Bartlett. He volunteered his time in Castine in many causes, not the least of which was the repair of the Main Street Church steeple and clock. He served as chairman of the church’s stewardship committee and was hugely effective in raising money for the church. He loved the little golf club in Castine and worked tirelessly to improve the cart trails and the irrigation system. He loved sailing and being a part of the yacht club where he could teach others to enjoy the pleasure of sailing. He worked for several summers on bringing the big band sounds to Castine. This was the music he adored and his efforts helped to raise money for the Town Band, a group he admired and supported wholeheartedly. Tom was predeceased by his first wife of 56 years, his parents and his sister, Barbara “Bobbi” Bartlett Miller. He is survived by his present wife, Mary (Sawyer) Durgin Bartlett; her son, Kevin Durgin, of Boston; his children, Thomas Jr. of Springfield, Ill., Boyd (Janet) of Fort Collins, Colo., and Shelley (Don) Small of Castine; grandchildren, Thomas III, Jessica, Andrew and Mason; and great-grandchild, Katherine Grace. He is also survived by his nieces, Bibi (Paul) Lewis and Midge (Mark) D’Entrement. Among his prized survivors are the friends he made everywhere he went. To honor Tom’s life, please support the causes that Tom admired, including Habitat for Humanity of Collier County, Naples, Fla., the Trinitarian Parish Church of Castine, the Castine Town Band and all organizations that are involved in the fight against cancer and those who serve to provide comfort for those who suffer. A celebration of Tom’s life will be announced at a later date by Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home, 28 Elm St., Bucksport, ME.