John F. Bartek ’74

John F. Bartek, born October 20, 1952, of Essex, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, December 19, 2013 at the age of 61. He leaves his wife Patty, his daughters Elizabeth and Ashley, his in-laws Marie and Raymond Grace of Middletown, and three brothers Robert, Steven and Richard. He was predeceased by his parents Frances and Stephen, and two brothers, William and James. In addition, he leaves his future son-in-law Adam Harris, a nephew and nieces, a pain in the butt grand-dog and the babiest of kitties, Chaquita.

John grew up in Wallingford, CT with five brothers. They spent summers on Seaside Ave in Westbrook causing plenty of trouble. John graduated from Xavier High School and Maine Maritime Academy. John worked as a Merchant Marine for over thirty years, retiring as Master. Most recently, he worked as Ships Superintendent for Logistic Corp. on the New London State Pier.

His love for the ocean extended throughout his life from Westbrook, CT to Seabrook, NH to Bremerhaven, Germany. John was a charter member of the Essex Corinthian Yacht Club and in his semi-retirement, became an active member at Westbrook Elks BPOE # 1784, where he and Patty volunteered for a number of events and made many lasting friendships. John was a dedicated fan of UCONN Women’s Basketball, the New England Patriots, and the Boston Red Sox, seeing at least one game a year at Fenway. He captained Ashley through multiple hikes of Mt. Monadnack and a walk through Europe, and Elizabeth through a job change, car troubles and much, much more. He even tried to captain his two unruly teenage girls from Haifa, Israel—it mostly worked, except for that one time when “Crashley” drove through the closed garage door. John enjoyed sitting with Patty on their back deck feeding birds and the neighbor’s chickens, though the moving of Patty’s jungle-like plants in and out for the season was always a dreaded task. Scratch-offs and pull-tabs were a daily activity, with much of the winnings donated to local charities.

Life Choice Donor Services would like to thank the Bartek family for their donation of John’s organs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries, PO BOX 804, Essex, CT 06426.