Paul Ives Bartholet

Stonington - Paul Ives Bartholet, who served the Stonington community in a variety of capacities over many years, died at home on Thursday, May 20, 2010, surrounded by family. He was 76. Paul, known to friends and relatives as "Ivy," never tired of getting things done, whether it was his daily two-mile walk or a meticulous study on behalf of one of the clubs or community organizations he helped to run. He had a long history in Stonington and lived full time in the area with his wife, Anne Baker Bartholet, since 1989. He served as president of both the Stonington Country Club (1997-2000) and the Wadawanuck Club (1992-1995); he also volunteered during different periods as treasurer of the Stonington Community Center, the Pine Point School, and the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, and as a member of the finance committee of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital.

Born in 1933 to Paul Bartholet and Elizabeth (Ives) Bartholet, he attended St. Bernard's School in New York City through eighth grade. He regularly phoned his buddies after school to draft them for baseball games in Central Park, an early sign of his organizational skills and his passion for sports. He later attended Pomfret School in Connecticut, where he captained the baseball and hockey teams. He played goalie in an era before the advent of the protective face mask. After graduating in 1952, he attended Columbia University in New York, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics in 1956. He and his brother, Chauncey Ives Bartholet, were doubles partners on the Columbia tennis team.

His first job out of college was with Metal and Thermit Corporation in New Jersey, where he worked as an accountant until 1961. He took night courses at Rutgers University to gain the practical skills necessary to succeed in corporate finance.

Paul married Phillis Baldwin Simonds in 1957, and they had three children, Jeffrey Ives, Frederick Ives, and Carolyn Vail. The family lived at different periods in New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. Hired by IBM in 1961, he rose through the ranks during nearly three decades with the company. He served as controller for three major corporate divisions, overseeing budgets and streamlining accounting systems. The family spent summers in Stonington, where Paul won nine men's singles titles at the Wadawanuck Club. He had served as the tennis pro at the club for two years in the 1950s.

Divorced in 1983, he married Anne Baker Schwartz of Stonington in 1985. He became a proud stepparent to Robert Schwartz, Joan O'Neill, Marianne O'Hearn, and David Schwartz. He loved what he called his "blended family," and was grateful he had the chance to play a role in the lives of another group of children and grandkids.

His hobbies, according to a thumbnail sketch he wrote some years ago, included golf, reading (mostly history), and "chasing after grandchildren." He chased his nine "little monsters" around tennis courts, golf courses, beaches, and museums; a trip to "Grampy and Nana's" by out-of-towners often included a visit to the Mystic Aquarium. He was an avid golfer until just a month before he passed away. In winter, he and his most hardy friends would play in ski caps, long johns, and neck warmers. They insisted that everyone hit their short putts, particularly when the temporary greens were icy.

Paul is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren, as well as his brother, Chauncey, and his sister, Elizabeth Bartholet.

A memorial service will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 6, at the Calvary Church, 27 Church St., in Stonington.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Paul's memory may be made to the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (www.dpnc.org) or to the Stonington Community Center, PO Box 286, 28 Cutler St., Stonington CT 06378.

The Mystic Funeral Home, Route 1, has charge of arrangements.