Barton Rowan Pearlman

Barton Rowan Pearlman — an Army veteran who took great pride in working with iron and with greenery, and who enjoyed a multigenerational family — passed away on July 28, 2026, after battling cancer. He was 79.

Bart (as he was known) spent the last 22 years sharing his life with his loving wife, Linda, and he died in southern Missouri, where they had moved in recent years after living in Bailey, in the foothills of Colorado, for many years.

Bart was born on June 27, 1947, in the Miami area, where he spent much of the early part of his life. As a young man, he served in the U.S. Army, based in Germany much of the time, before being honorably discharged in 1970. He received a good-conduct medal, a National Defense Service Medal and a rifle marksman honor. Bart's middle name came from the ship his father served on in the Navy, the USS Rowan.

For much of his career, Bart was a proud ironworker. But he went on to work as a custodian, then as a grounds person, for the Colorado-based Littleton Public Schools, from which he retired in 2009. Both professionally and when working on his own property, Bart greatly enjoyed landscaping — and working outside in general. Indeed, in recent decades he spent countless hours improving the property at the houses he and Linda owned in Bailey and Nixa, Missouri.

Throughout his professional life — and thereafter — Bart had a very strong, nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic. Essentially, he was an Energizer Bunny of sorts, not staying still unless he was sick. And he enjoyed serving as the general contractor for significant building projects, whether it was entire houses or additions to them. In the same vein, he built a treehouse and jungle gym that his kids loved in Pine Junction, not far from Bailey. (Bart also helped build that house in Pine Junction.)

During his off time, Bart very much liked playing pool and target shooting with his friends at the personal range he built at the house in Bailey.

Bart enjoyed spending time with Linda and with his family, which included three grown children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. While Bart was generally fairly quiet, on certain topics he would enthusiastically engage in conversation and tell stories.

Bart always emphasized staying fit, and loved working out to the point that it became a regular part of his routine.

In the 1970s, Bart moved from his native Florida to Colorado, where he lived much of the rest of his life and where he met Linda. The two of them moved to southern Missouri in 2024.

Bart is survived by his three children: Angie Maxon in Clovis, California; Eric Pearlman in Castle Rock, Colorado; and David Pearlman in Boston, Massachusetts.

Angie's husband is Michael; their children/grandchildren are Victoria Maxon, Rebecca Maxon, and Michaela Maxon McKenzie (spouse, Taylor, and their children — Bart's four great-grandsons — Jamie, Rogan, Madison and Baker McKenzie).

Eric's wife is Roseann; their children are Kevin Pearlman, Audrey Pearlman Bingham (spouse, Jon), and Konnor and Aericka Pearlman.

David's children are Makenna and Nathaniel Pearlman.

Also surviving Bart is his younger brother, Mark. Preceding Bart were his parents, Myron (Mike) and Stella Pearlman, and his younger sister, Mona.