Elizabeth Bartlett, an amazing and indefatigable woman better known to all of her friends (as well as her adversaries!) as simply "LIZ" finally left us to join her equally amazing husband Scott Bartlett on Saturday October 29th . Born Elizabeth Ann Lewis in January, 1934 in Iowa, she was the youngest of three Army brats who were constantly moving about with their parents Colonel

John and Henrietta Lewis. This included her traveling abroad to the Philippines through the age of five. At seven, she graduated first grade from the North Carolina public schools in Cumberland County then spent several years in Austin Texas- even being a member of the Girl Scouts in 1943.

By the age of 13 she was residing in Louisville, Kentucky her first real home where she laid down roots that remain strong even today, graduating from Atherton high school in 1952. Her sense of service having been acutely developed during her years as the daughter of an army officer, she gave many hours working as a volunteer at Kosair Hospital for Crippled Children. This was only the start of the career of our "Energizer Bunny" mom.

Ever the trailblazer, she next headed north to attend Finch College in New York City, earning an Associate in Applied Science in 1954. In 1953, she was both a glamorous debutante at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, but also a hard-working teacher in a beginning swimmers' program, earning $1 per hour. This demonstrated a glorious paradox that mom demonstrated throughout her life where she mixed a tom-boy torn clothing covered-in-paint toughness and an appreciation of hard work, with a great love for also doing things in style. Our father once joked that when they redid a kitchen in their home in Montclair NJ, that he "gave her an unlimited budget….and she EXCEEDED it!"

After graduating from Finch in New York, mom stayed on living with friends Barbara Burford and Nancy Ackerly where in 1957 she met the future love of her life: Craig Scott Bartlett Jr- whom all called Scott. He was originally dating her roommate…. but later looking for a way to impress her, he took her pet rabbit Farquwar out to a bar on a leash while wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Dad later said it was for a bet, but we all know it likely had more to do with his need to do something spectacular to prove to this special woman that he could handle her for the next 58 years! It worked and they finally settled in Montclair, NJ after getting married in November, 1959. There, they raised 3 children: Craig, Laura and Susan.

Mom's two main tendencies came from her parents whom mom later called "A handsome officer [and] a beautiful lady." Her mother Henrietta (known to the Grandchildren as Gam) was simple, but elegant and proper. Her father, also known as "The Colonel" (and to has Grandchildren as "Pal") did not believe in letting anything go to waste – he was a conservationist at heart – and she inherited that from him. So, NOTHING ever got thrown out!

Importantly, she was never afraid to try something new. Their strong beliefs also took hold in mom, giving her the great gift to stubbornly always know what was right and fight for it.

She was an artist for a time and painted a number of pictures, with some of these hanging in various homes, but also transitioned into doing many manual and artistic things well. She took up and excelled at the artisan craft of caning and rushing chairs, running her own professionalbusiness where she helped people throughout the country. She even invented her own tool and still has patents on this! Two weeks before she left us, she received a rare, but appreciated, $400 royalty check!

She also had a business of doing estate sales for a time. But she couldn't resist being a customer during these sales as well and so to our dad's dismay many great pieces filled our home leading to renovations like the kitchen above! These renovations continued from home to home over the course of fifty years and four homes. This included her being handy with tools, ripping out walls on her own, painting her own house including burning the old paint off standing thirty feet in the air dressed like a homeless person, and staining her floors so well she could embarrass the best of work crews. This was a woman who was always on the go. Few could keep up with her- even until her 80's. One time she tore down a wall in their home with a sledgehammer and tried to hide it from Scott before getting him to pay for the renovations. Of course, in true form during each of these renovations or additions, mom couldn't bring herself to throw out anything so her homes and basements and attics did fill up a bit, adding to a unique personality.

She later designed a special Christmas Tree stand for homeowners to store their Christmas lights- creating a patent. Somewhat later in life she embarked on a business of designing and selling women's shoes and launched her own shoe company with more patents!

But nothing moved her more and ignited her spirit than community service and politics. When first coming to Montclair she joined the Montclair Rehabilitation Organization, a group that provided low-cost transportation to medical appointments and therapy for the elderly and infirm living in the area. This became a great passion of hers as she helped grow MRO over her years with them.

She also helped bring recycling to northern New Jersey five decades before the term "Green" became more than just a color. In May of 1972, an article in our local paper the Montclair times noted that: "perhaps the most unusual volunteer is Mrs. Liz Bartlett…who collects glass from Tierney's Tavern, George Strand's and the Suburban Cocktail Lounge [local bars of which her beloved Scott would generate some of the glass!]. She even gathers in the ketchup bottles!

Now, when she goes into Strands the customers begin singing, a la Bert Parks 'here she comes, Miss Recycling!'…'The three bars that I collect from have been very cooperative about saving every empty bottle for me' reports Mrs. Bartlett- 'It's just too bad more bars in town don't follow this civic-minded example.'"

She was also a conservative Republican who became active in both local, regional, and even national politics. Whether it was writing hundreds of letters to the editor or to politicians she admired and even more letters to those she despised, she was tireless and never stopped fighting for the causes of truth and fairness. She was known as "Liz" to countless freeholders, mayors, state senators, governors, congressmen and senators in Washington, and even has a few pictures and presidential notes addressed to her. In the 1970's she helped spearhead an effort to collect the signatures of more than 15% of the registered voters in Essex County, New Jersey to support a critical initiative called "Charter Change." This successfully reached the ballet box and was passed into law, leading to important political changes in the government creating more accountability; including an elected county executive and Freeholders elected by district rather than at large. She even ran to be one of these Freeholders in 1978! She didn't hide the fact that she was a lifelong Republican and one knew it was her from the sea of bumper stickers loudly calling out various causes and issues from the back of her station wagon.

It made for interesting driving for the rest of us when borrowing it to travel to various areas around the country where perhaps some had a slight disagreement with her views! While, she had no qualms about being direct about her thoughts, she would always listen to those of others but expected facts and history in any healthy debate. In 1992, she was presented with the Republican National Hall of Honor.

Before leaving Montclair, she was active in fundraising for the opera including Opera Music Theater International where she befriended the great Jerome Hines and brought celebrities like Tony Randall and Rudy Giuliani to Montclair to help fundraise, where they too just called her "Liz." With all this going on, she never seemed to sleep. We don't think she ever turned her radio off, day or night, usually blaring with some conservative talk show or podcast.

And then of course, her family was the world to her. She dragged all of us kids to model for newspapers and magazines, took us to learn to skate, and made sure we had  opportunities to do sports and other activities. We remember her and dad wanting us to ski and thus taking us to a small ski area in Vermont, telling us to just go out on the mountain and have fun, then not knowing what to do so they sat in the hotel all day just hanging out drinking coffee at the restaurant. Mom single handedly taught each of us to ride our bikes on our front lawn running after us and shouting words of encouragement as we veered around the garbage cans, she had overturned to make an obstacle course for us. She was also there supporting us during our education and never giving up but was quick to nudge. When Craig wasn't taking his studies seriously enough in college, she one night announced that if he didn't shape up, then one day she would have to "bake a cake with a metal file in it" to take to him in prison to help him escape. She was there for every up and down in our lives ready to fight for us. She carried this dedication on to all of her grandchildren, who grew up knowing her as simply Gommy".

There were many pets including Rex the Collie, Waggles the enraged cockapoo, Snowball the cat with 6 toes on each foot, Baby the stalker cat, and Koguma the Akita. Mom's love of pets equally applied to people and she hosted more visitors in her home over the years than just about anyone, some of them staying for the summer, and some for years on end. One man, Jim Volland moved into her attic for a few months and never left- staying there until he died.

Others mom hosted included Ralph the hippy piano player who taught the kids piano to help pay his way, a myriad extended family members, international visitors, and travelling musicians from the Philharmonic, who no doubt have their own stories to tell. Most special was the story of Bob Gryce, Craig's new friend from boarding school whom Craig brought home for the first time over a weekend to hang out and was told a short time later that Bob was now staying for good (this was a wake-up call for Craig who learned that he might be replaceable!). Bob had recently lost his father and his mother was not well- leading the nurturing nature of Liz to kick in and over time he became another son to her (she did keep Craig!).

Every year she and Scott would gather the family at Rockywold Deephaven Camp in New Hampshire where we loved to stay and were rejuvenated. This turned into a generational home where dozens of family members and friends enjoyed her company over the years.

When Scott finally retired, they designed and built a home near Savannah and eventually sold the one in New Jersey (which of course had been housing the man who did all her furniture stripping). Never content to just sit around, mom took up going to the shooting range to test her skills with her shotgun. In 2017 she lost the love of her life, Scott after caring for him for several years. But she was never alone there for long, with various family and others visiting.

When having to describe her profession with one word upon her death, Laura, Susan and Craig were dumbstruck. It has always been hard to define our mom in simple terms or to fit her into a neat pigeon-hole. She literally had her hands in everything! She was a mother, a wife, a wanderer, a free spirit- stubborn to her own ideals, a politician, an artist, a carpenter, a painter, an entrepreneur, an inventor, a volunteer, a therapist, a drill sergeant, a lover of music and singing, a hater of stupidity, but most important- she was a friend to everyone who came into her life – giving what she could and giving it with great passion and love. She has been the glue between the generations and now that task falls onto all of us who she leaves behind. She will be deeply missed.

Mrs. Bartlett is survived by her children Dr. Craig S. Bartlett, III (wife Dr. Colleen Parker) of Shelburne VT, Laura Bartlett of Millsboro, DE, Susan Bartlett Rankin of Tiburon CA, and Richmond Hill, GA, and Robert Gary Gryce (wife Linda) of Kingwood TX. Her grandchildren include Craig Scott Bartlett, IV, Charles Demarest Bartlett, Lutes Elizabeth Bartlett, Tyler William Parker Pawloski, Maxon West Parker Bartlett, Eleanor Jay Parker Bartlett, Connor Mason Rankin, Emily Elizabeth Gryce, and Andrew Robert Gryce. She also leaves behind countless loving nieces, nephews and other important people who she considered family.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, November 5, 2022 at Richmond Hill Funeral Home with Pastor Chris Howard officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service at 2:00 p.m., for those who would like to attend the pre-service viewing and say their goodbyes.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Squam Environmental Preservation Fund. Please make Checks payable to: NH Charitable Foundation (SEPF); Mail to: Rockywold-Deephaven Camps, Inc.; PO Box B, Holderness, NH 03245; Tel (603) 968-3313 Fax (603) 968-3438; www.rdcsquam.com and/ or The Savannah Philharmonic 30 West Broughton Street Suite 105 Savannah GA 31401, Savannahphiharmonic.org