Aloysia Jean Marie Theresa "DeeDee" Bartels

Deedee Bartels went home to God on November 28, 2025, at the age of 102. Born August 11, 1923, as Aloysia Jean Marie Theresa De Bessieres, DeeDee has left behind an immeasurable impact on the countless lives and places she has lived. Anyone who knew Deedee knew the unspoken truth that she was a remarkable person, just as anyone who knew her would have also known that Deedee would have wanted it to be spoken. Her early life was spent under the sun of southern Florida sailing, reading, and forming the basis for what would be a lifelong love for life.
At 8-years-old, after the death of her beloved father, she attended the Convent of Mary Immaculate, a Catholic boarding school in Key West. She graduated just as World War 2 was beginning and went on to support the war effort in various ways at the Naval Base in Key West. During her time in Key West, she also hosted a daily radio show for WKIZ discussing local news and current events. During the Cuban revolution she went to Cuba to interview the revolutionaries for her radio show.
She left Key West in 1959 and moved to Fernandina Beach with her husband and two sons. Following brief stints in California and Germany for her husband's work, she settled back in Fernandina and began to make her many marks on the history of the town. She served as the president of the Fernandina Beach Historical Society and was responsible for the preservation of Old Town and the Fort San Carlos archeological dig. She was also a driving force behind the preservation of the old rail depot that is now the Fernandina Beach Welcome Center downtown.
Most notable was her impact and influence in the shrimping industry of Fernandina. Deedee owned and operated several shrimp boats during the 60's and 70's and was one of the influences of the early Shrimp Festivals. Having grown up around the ocean and sailing, she was very familiar with regattas and suggested having a shrimp boat race during the slow spring shrimp season in order to generate local excitement and support of the shrimpers. The races became a huge success, bringing crowds, tourists, and media attention.
At the young age of 70, Deedee decided to take on a new challenge. She moved to a remote island in the southern Caribbean called Carriacou. She lived there for over a decade, becoming an integral part of the community there with several businesses and countless friends
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Throughout her life, Deedee wrote poetry and painted. Many people in Fernandina will know her from her art classes or her published books of poetry. She always made everyone feel welcome and important whenever they met her, and she never hesitated to bring new people into her life.
She is survived by a large family who will miss her and her stories deeply.
A funeral mass will be held for her at St. Michael's Catholic Church on Tuesday, December 2nd at 11:00 a.m. followed by a private burial service for the family.
If you feel so inclined, please consider making a donation in Deedee's name to the Amelia Island Museum of History. https://ameliamuseum.org/donate/