Henry Charles Bartlett

Henry Charles ("Chuck") Bartlett, Jr., 89, of Middletown, R.I. died Tuesday, July 2nd, peacefully at his daughter's home in Hamilton, MA surrounded by his family. Charles, or Charlie, as he was known to his family, was born in New York City on June 22, 1935. He grew up in New York, Greenwich, CT, and San Francisco, CA, and graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 1953. Classmates Rusty, Lynn, and Jim remained lifelong friends, and together they enjoyed many reunions and rounds of golf over seventy years of friendship. From Hotchkiss, Chuck followed in his father's footsteps and began his studies at Harvard College. While at Harvard, he took his first flying lesson at a small airport in Beverly, MA. He went home for Christmas break and told his father that he wanted to fly planes. His father wisely replied, "Well, if you can get into flight school, you have my blessing to take a leave of absence from Harvard." That leave of absence began a twenty-five year Air Force career where Chuck pursued his passion for flying as a fighter pilot, combat veteran, and Purple Heart recipient, before retiring as a full colonel in 1980.
Most importantly, Chuck was stationed in England in 1958 when he met Jennifer Ann Barnard-Hankey of Dorset, England on a ski trip in Switzerland. As she told the story, he laid eyes on her and found the second great love of his life, after his F-4. As he told the story, there was no doubt she was the love of his life for 58 years of devoted marriage. They loved to ski, hike, travel, play tennis, and serve in the many Episcopal churches that always anchored their multiple moves throughout his Air Force career. His daughters fondly remember family vacations which included many ski holidays in places as varied as Taos, Gray Rocks, Alta, and Garmisch.
At the request of the Air Force, Chuck finished his undergraduate degree at Indiana University, and went on to earn an M.B.A. and D.B.A., and attended the Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, R.I. in 1974. Upon his retirement from the Air Force, Chuck returned to the NWC as a professor, and he and Jennifer spent forty years happily settled in Middletown.
At the age of 70, Chuck retired from the NWC as a Professor Emeritus and told friends and colleagues he was going to become a "professional grandfather." Boppa and Granny, as Chuck and Jennifer were known to their eight grandchildren, spent countless hours and trips back and forth to Massachusetts to see their family. Their home and hearts were always open to family, friends, neighbors, as well as many NCC families who became friends all over the world.
In his last years, Chuck's faith in Jesus and hope for Heaven only strengthened and increased as he patiently, and with good-nature, waited for his final flight from this Earth. He is survived by his daughters, Julie and Ellen, sons-in-law, Alan and Steve, nephew, Mark, grandchildren Katie, Jessi, Lucy, Luke, Josh, Peter, Nate, and Edy, their partners (a.k.a "the Society of Solid Citizens"), and three great-grandchildren. The family especially would like to thank the dedicated carers who cared for Chuck during his brave journey with Alzheimer's. Each was known by Chuck as "Lovie," and his smile never failed to greet them every day of the past eight years. To his original R.I. "Lovies," thank you for helping to keep Chuck in his Middletown home for six-and-a-half additional, beautiful years. Also, to Senior Living Advocates, Care Dimensions, and his exceptional Hamilton home team, thank you for giving Chuck the gift of living out his remaining days at home in comfort, dignity, and peace.
All are invited to join the family for a service of celebration at St. Columba's Chapel, 55 Vaucluse Avenue, Middletown, RI on Saturday, July 13th at 3:00PM. Arrangements by Campbell Funeral Home, 525 Cabot St., Beverly, MA 01945. Information and condolences at www.campbellfuneral.com.