John Patrick Bartolomeo

Pickleball champion, died suddenly October 18 at his home in Timonium. He was 84.

Raised in the Hamilton neighborhood of Northeastern Baltimore John attended St. Dominic’s

Parish Catholic school with his siblings Albert, Tom and Mary. A graduate of Baltimore

Polytechnic Highschool where he lettered in lacrosse, John has always held education as one of

the keys to a successful life, a lesson he imparted to his children and grandchildren.

John went on to serve in the Coast guard before continuing his own education.

John met the love of his life, Loretta Ann Herbst, while working as an accounting clerk at

Bethlehem Steel’s Sparrows Point plant. Loretta who was working in the firm’s secretarial pool,

recalls John going out of his way to catch her attention while passing by her desk. Needless to

say, his trips to her department became more and more frequent.

After marrying Loretta in 1963 and becoming a father a year later, John put himself through

night school, completing coursework in Business Administration at Loyola College before

earning a B.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park.

John joined the personnel department of the Mass Transit Administration in 1978. Years later

when the administration broke ground on the construction of the city’s first subway line, he

was chosen to join the inaugural team of Rail Supervisors charged with mapping and scheduling

the daily operations of the subway system. “Dad was very engaged in the building of the

subway system. He took us on hardhat tours underground during the excavation and

construction of tunnels,” recalls son, Jim.

The MTA called on John once again in 1992 when the initial line of the new Light Rail system

was launched from Timonium to Camden Yards. Eager to face new experiences and always

challenge himself, John transferred his considerable experience as a Rail Supervisor for the

subway to help solve the novel challenges faced when railcars share the road with automobiles.

In 2001, John retired from the MTA after more than 25 years. He was a proud father of

Kimberly Vantran, a nurse, and James Bartolomeo, a filmmaker, and nothing delighted him

more than spending time with his six grandsons. He worked his retirement date to coincide

with the birth of his 2nd, 3rd and 4th grandsons and became Pop-pop to all.

Pop-pop and Loretta (Nonna) enjoyed attending years of soccer, basketball, swimming, cross

country races and Boy Scout events with his beloved grandchildren. He would frequently be

heard offering pearls of grandfatherly wisdom that ranged from how to get your best time in a

race to the latest stock market tips.

Always active and health-conscious, John shared a love of distance running with his son in the

1980s. He completed five marathons, with a personal best time of 3:29, as well as myriad other

road races. One of their favorites to run together was the annual Turkey Trot 5K in

Westminster, the morning after Thanksgiving.

John maintained close relationships with his three siblings, Albert Bartolomeo of Parkville; Tom

Bartolomeo of The Villages, Florida; and Mary Oppelt of Louisville, Kentucky. When the three

brothers got together, they were sure to find a billiards hall, ping pong table, or pickleball court.

Close in age, the four siblings formed a strong bond as young adults, raising their families

together, celebrating each milestone and supporting one another through life’s challenges.

John discovered golf late in life but made up for lost time with a passion for the game that led

him to a best score of 86 in 1981 at Longview Golf Course, where he also shot a verified hole-in-one

a few years later. Yet this achievement was overshadowed by his recent accomplishments

in another beloved sport, Pickleball, in which John won the Maryland State Pickleball

Championships in 2019 for doubles in his age group.

John and Loretta enjoyed trips throughout the United States and Europe, yet it was Maryland’s

Eastern Shore that they returned to again and again.

John Patrick Bartolomeo is survived by his wife, Loretta, daughter Kim of Parkton, Maryland,

and son Jim of Dunedin, Florida. He was a loving grandfather to Benjamin, Luke, Matthew, Jack,

Oliver and Emil.

Due to the certain circumstances, services and interment are going to be private.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be directed in Mr. Bartolomeo’s memory to Stella Maris, 2300 Dulaney Valley Road, Timonium, MD 21093.