To say our father, Robert Arthur Bartlett, was a great man would be putting it lightly. He was our family’s rock, guiding, supporting, and leading us by example with his endless love, wisdom, sense of humor, and strength. He passed away in his home of sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 75 on Monday, August 3rd. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a private service was held shortly after his passing, with a larger celebration of his life planned for summer 2021.
Robert (known as Bob, Bart, and Butch) was born on August 13th, 1944 in New York City to George and Theresa Bartlett. A chance encounter between his father, a policeman on New York City’s Upper West Side, and the headmaster of Manhattan’s Trinity School, gave our father the opportunity to attend that prestigious institution where he earned both academic and athletic honors. Bob was a standout baseball player; legend has it, upon graduation from Trinity he was pursued by several professional teams. He was also pursued by Yale University. At his father’s behest, he chose Yale, playing both baseball and football for the Bulldogs. Bob was a first baseman and captain of the Yale baseball team, a member of the DKE fraternity along with a secret society, and an excellent student.
After receiving his B. A. from Yale in 1966, Bob received a J. D. degree from George Washington University National Law Center in 1969. He was soon admitted to practice law in Virginia, and served four years on active duty in the Army JAG Corps. Bob loved his country, and was proud to serve another 26 years in the Army Reserves, earning the title of Colonel. Bob’s work as a JAG officer took him all over the world, serving in Kuwait in the first Gulf War, and to many other destinations.
In 1973, Bob was admitted to practice law in Georgia, and moved to Atlanta with his wife, Kerry. He practiced with Heyman & Sizemore for almost four years, and in 1977 was one of the six co-founders of the law firm Hicks, Maloof & Campbell. Over the next 20 years this firm grew to over 60 attorneys, and in 1988, merged with Long, Aldridge & Norman, with Bob a partner in the merged firm. In January of 2010, Bob retired from that firm (then McKenna, Long & Aldridge, now Dentons). Our father had an incredible work ethic and passion for the law, we knew he’d never really retire, and so upon his retirement in 2010 he joined the firm Ragsdale, Beals, Seigler, Patterson & Gray as a sole practitioner. Bob was a highly respected corporate attorney, working on numerous large bankruptcies, cases involving complex money laundering schemes, and was even retained by the US Government for consultation on cases involving corporate fraud. Bob continued to practice law until his passing.
Bob remained an avid baseball player as well. For 25 years he played in the men’s senior league, traveling all over the country, and attending their World Series events (often participating in multiple age groups) for many years. In his later years Bob transitioned from first baseman to pitcher and was known for his stealthy pick-off moves. He achieved many “no-hitters” throughout his career, the last of which was when he was 73 against a team in the men’s 50-and-over league. Bob was an excellent athlete and could often be found riding his bike around East Cobb on the weekends.
Bob adored his family and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Kerry, with whom he traveled the world and treasured deeply, his three children, Jamie Bartlett of Atlanta, Georgia, Toby Bartlett of Atlanta, Georgia and Courtney Posch of Munich, Germany, his sister Carole Peyton of Asheville, North Carolina, and brother George Bartlett of New York, New York, and his five grandchildren: Emma & Avery Bartlett (Jamie), Sebastian & Gavin Bartlett (Toby), and Lilly Posch (Courtney).
In lieu of flowers we kindly ask for contributions to be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or the Cure JM Foundation.
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