William Ray Bartlett

1945 - 2022

William Ray Bartlett
William Ray "Bill" Bartlett was born to Edgar Earl and Grace Louise Bartlett in Spruce Pine North Carolina on Christmas morning in 1945. Always one to do things on his own terms, William arrived at home leaving it to Louise to deliver him safely on her own with his two older siblings in tow while Edgar ventured out to find a doctor who might make a Christmas house call during a snowstorm. William continued to keep his mom and dad on their toes and quickly earned the nickname "Henry" after Carl Anderson's comic strip about a boy who found mischief wherever he went.
Bill graduated in 1963 from Morenci High School in Morenci, Mi. He attended Warren Wilson College in North Carolina for a two-year program, transferring to Tennessee Tech in Cookeville Tennessee to earn a degree in industrial engineering in 1968. Upon graduation, he was recruited by the Dow Chemical Company and relocated to Midland where he lived ever since.
Bill took on various engineering management jobs for the Dow Chemical Company at multiple locations throughout his 35-year career, including US Safety & Loss Prevention Specialist, Production Supervisor at the Handi-Wrap plant in Bay City, Packaging Superintendent at the 433 Building in Midland, and finishing his career as a Global Supply Chain Specialist.
He met his soul mate, Barbara Kozlik, in Midland and they married on December 23, 1972. They were married for 49 years. He and Barbara had two daughters, Laura and Diana, who they raised together in Midland. He instilled in his daughters a love sports and the outdoors. An avid hunter, fisher and outdoorsman, Bill took every opportunity to get outside. He loved playing and watching softball and coached both daughters' Midland Softball Association teams throughout the years, in addition to forming several travel teams including the Midland Firefighters girls travel softball team from 1994-1998 which resulted in lifelong friendships and memories from those fun and busy summers traveling the state. After being a loyal Dow High Charger fan cheering on his girls during high school ball games, Bill split his loyalties to include the Midland High Chemics where he served as an assistant coach to the Freshman Softball team for a few seasons.
Soon after retirement, Bill jumped right in to helping both of his daughters through multiple moves, and big life milestones with both daughters getting married the summer of 2004, and he jumped right into the role of the world's best father-in-law and soon-to-be grandpa. He loved helping his sons-in-law with projects around the house, always showing up with great advice, a helping hand, and some new tools. He also shared his love of the outdoors with his daughters' families, nephews, and his special brother Mark – arranging for countless fishing, hunting, and camping trips as often as he could. Never one to miss a family event or occasion, he wore out tires driving to see family and friends across the country.
Bill had a wry sense of humor and loved to get a laugh any chance he could get. Bill had a razor-sharp wit and an infectious curiosity that motivated him to learn a lot about many subjects. He enjoyed reading about American history, outdoor activities, and politics. He loved nothing more than a good debate, and opportunity to "learn you right". Bill exemplified compassion and took loving care of his family, which always included four-legged family members. Bill raised and loved three Brittany Spaniel dogs throughout the years and earned the nickname the dog whisperer from his family.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents Ed and Louise, his older brother Charles, older sister Carolyn, his in-laws Louie and Tillie Kozlik, and his brothers- in-law Ronald and Louie Jr. who all thought the world of him.
Bill is survived by his adoring wife, Barbara and his loyal dog, Copper, grateful daughters Laura (Matthew Eggleton); and Diana (Marc Jones); and his beloved grandchildren, Hannah Bea Eggleton, Charlie William Eggleton, Tobias Henry Jones, and Amelia Rose Jones. He is also survived by his loving siblings, Dorothy (Wilford) Miller, Robert (Bonnie) Bartlett, Janice Bartlett, Nancy (Mark) Sawmiller, and Mark (Susan) Bartlett; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and lifelong friends across the country.
Memorial Services will be held at Ware Smith Woolever Funeral Home, 1200 W. Wheeler St. at 1:00pm on Wednesday March 9th, 2022, with live streaming available at waresmithwoolever.com. There will be a visitation on Tuesday March 8th from 6-8:30pm, and Wednesday March 9th from 12:00pm until the time of the service. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the American Brittany Rescue or Pheasants Forever.