Mark A Bartholomew

St. George- At sunset on a beautiful fall day, surrounded by the love of family and friends, Mark A. Bartholomew went to be with his loving parents, his brother, Lonny and the love of his life, Betsy Rockwell Bartholomew.
Mark was born in Ware, Massachusetts on March 19th, 1940, the second son of Colonel Lisle and Vera Bartholomew of Benson, Vermont. Mark's early life was spent moving from Army post to Army post as Lisle served as a Chaplain during his life-long military career. His mother Vera was oftentimes called upon to serve the role of both parents as Lisle served in Europe, the South Pacific, Korea, and Vietnam. As a child, Mark was an avid scientist, hunter, and fisherman, locally famous for his large collection of live snakes. Sometimes he would tuck his shirt in his pants, drop in a snake, and carry it throughout the day, a particular issue when the officers' wives were visiting Vera for tea. As a teenager, he was a talented skier, excellent competitive rifleman, and avid outdoorsman, a theme constant in his life.
In 1955, the family made a move that would forever shape Mark's life. An epic 4,300-mile journey from Benson, Vermont to Fort Richardson, Alaska. The entire family, including sister Sue B. Wade, 11 years his junior, traveled in a 1955 Hudson Hornet, dragging a trailer fashioned from the bed of a Ford truck which featured the trunk of a Model A attached to it as the makeshift kitchen facility. During the journey, they met up with two families from Connecticut and traveled together, making camp as a group each night. One night after a day of rain, there was a tremendous roar, and they awoke to find the road completely washed away. In these days before cell phones, the families were cut off from all aid. Fortunately, they were camped by a lake and one of the families had a canoe with which they were able to find a trading post for provisions. The other family was the Rockwells, with their three daughters and son, including Betsy Rockwell who would be prominently featured in Mark's life later. Besides a church service led by Lisle, the families celebrated the birthdays of Mark's brother, Lonny, and Betsy while stranded.
Growing up on various Army posts around the US and Europe, Mark graduated from Anchorage (West) High School and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Fisheries from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. While in college he was an active member of the national champion UAF Rifle team and the alpine and nordic ski teams.
He married his first wife Carole (Rollison) Warner after college. During their 36-year marriage, he served more than 20 years of active duty in the US Army, including two tours in Vietnam, as they traveled from post to post and raised two daughters together. He was an understanding, humorous, and supportive father. He also had a reputation as a "Dr. Dolittle," causing neighbors and co-workers to bring him all manner of injured wildlife, which he taught his daughters to care for and release. In his later years, he befriended the wildlife in his rural yard, including a mother fox, a skunk, a flock of turkeys, a doe and her various generations of fawns and a wide variety songbirds who visited for the homemade suet, cracked corn and sunflower seeds.
After his "retirement," Mark pursued careers in real estate, commercial fishing, and as a tour boat captain in Seward, Alaska. During the Valdez oil spill, Mark combined his boat captain skills and marine biology knowledge to help in the wild animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts. The following summer, he helped by ferrying environmental impact scientists around the area as they assessed damage and recovery.
In 1999, he married a second time, this time to his high school sweetheart, Betsy (Rockwell) Bartholomew, gaining a loving second family as well. The couple had 20 years of happiness together, fishing and traveling between Maine and Alaska.
Very active in his community, Mark participated on the Board of the Marshall Point Lighthouse Committee; the International Order of Oddfellows, St. George; the Broad Cove Community Church; the Knox County Fish and Game Association (local shooting club); and the St. George town council. Strong and active until his very last week, Mark was always up for fishing, hunting, and occasional deck-handing for his lobstering friends. He kept up with his eight grandchildren, his gardens, and his friends, and was always willing to lend a hand with boat or home repairs.
Pre-deceased by his brother, Lt. Col. Alanson (Lonny) Bartholomew, and his family, his parents Colonel Lisle and Vera, and his loving wife Betsy, Mark is survived by his sister, Sue B. Wade of St. Albans, Vermont, his former wife Carole Warner of Tavares, Florida, his two daughters, and Betsy's two sons: daughter Laura Young, her husband Ty, and two children, Marin (Young) Wilson and Christian Young (living in Maryland and Texas); daughter Rebecca Marcoux, husband Steven, and sons Joshua and Ryan of Foxborough, Massachusetts; stepson John Bidwell, his wife Kris Holloway, and their sons Aidan and Liam of Northampton, Massachusetts; and stepson Jim Bidwell, his wife Ruth, and their daughters, Emma and Rachel of Penacook, New Hampshire.
The family is grateful for the support of numerous friends and community members who cared for Mark, especially Hale Miller and Joan Small of Tenants Harbor, Maine; cousin Chris Cook and his wife Annika, and their son, Alexander, of South Portland, Maine; sister-in-law Merle Rockwell and her husband, Ed Modell of Spruce Island, Maine; Joe and Rachel Baldwin of Anchorage, Alaska; and Jack Scoby of Seward, Alaska.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on October 29th, 2022 at the Broad Cove Community Church in Cushing, Maine. Rev. Anne Roundy will officiate.
The family suggests that memorial contributions in Mark's name be made to Broad Cove Community Church (P.O. Box 189, Friendship, ME 04547-0189) the Marshall Point Light (marshallpoint.org), or the Alaska SeaLife Center (alaskasealife.org).
Hall Funeral and Cremation Services, 78 Main Street, Thomaston, Me. has care of the arrangements. to extend online condolences visit Mark's Book of Memories at hallfuneralhomes.com