George Raymond Bartlett

George Raymond Bartlett, born July 31, 1930 and died April 20, 2017. Survived by his children, Brenda, George Jr. (Virginia), Andrew (Kelly); and four grandchildren, Katie, Billy, Blake, and Madeline. George was a very special person with a spirit of adventure and a great sense of humor. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, mentor, colleague, and a friend to many. George grew up in the Kansas City area where he met Ann, his wife of 62 years. He joined the Air Force and was stationed in France, where he lived with Ann until his honorable discharge. After returning to the states, he finished his degree at the University of Kansas and began his business career, working for a variety of companies before joining Coldwell Banker in 1977. He started in sales and quickly became the sales manager for the Chicago office. In 1981, he was given the opportunity to expand Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Company into Florida. He founded and grew the Tampa office, which continues to thrive today, and was inducted into the NAIOP Real Estate Hall of Fame in 1994. He retired in 1995. George loved to travel with Ann and they visited 47 of the 50 states, as well as 60 countries around the world. George was a huge sports fan - he enjoyed cheering on the Cubs and was thrilled with their World Series win. He was also an ardent Rays and Bucs fan. He was a voracious reader and dedicated volunteer, supporting a variety of organizations in Tampa. He will be greatly missed by family and friends. Funeral service will be held Thursday, April 27, in Tampa. Graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at Chapel Hill Butler Funeral Home at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, 701 N. 94th St., Kansas City, KS.