Harold Bartelt
February 5, 1940 – February 11, 2024
Harold Bartelt has reunited with parents Clarence Bartelt and Geneva Felland Bartelt, and brothers Glenn and Dean on Sunday, February 11, 2024. At the age of 84, he was the loving husband to Sandy, devoted father to Dan Bartelt and Tami Patchin (Travis Patchin), and affectionate grandfather to Cody (Dan), Hunter, and Brooklyn (Tami & Travis).
Harold was born in Madison, Wisconsin on February 5, 1940. As a young man, he worked as a manager at Gardner Bakeries for 20 years. After this, he retired in 2003 as an inventory manager for the University of Wisconsin school system. Harold had to stay busy; and worked several part-time jobs for the next few years allowing Sandy and him to become avid RV campers throughout the Wisconsin area. After a few years of this, and taking some RV trips to Florida, they finally decided to make roots in Eustis, Florida.
Harold was not only a compassionate and considerate father and grandfather, but he was dedicated and committed to helping every person in need. He was always willing to go the extra mile to provide support and assistance in whatever ways he could.
He loved to go for walks every morning and before bed. He also loved watching his stocks and keeping an eye on the trends. He oftentimes would play pool, horseshoes or shuffleboard with his friends. He enjoyed some friendly competition and once he told his granddaughter, Brooklyn, that “we don’t make anything big about winning because it makes it more fun when someone wins and then we move to the next game and we never make a big deal winning or losing as it’s fun either way.” With this in mind, family and loved ones may have lost Harold in body, but his love lives on in every person he helped. His support allows us all to win through loss, and we must remember the joys to persevere through these challenges. As he always did, he will help us all remember the greatness in all things and how much it means to remain thankful and appreciative for family and neighbors.
His loving wife, Sandy Bartelt, always said that you have made it if you and your person can be weird without judgement together. Their 55 years together created the most compassionate bond with strong morals and a duty to spread their compassion to every person they met. Harold lived his life free of judgment and open to kindness and empathy. Through their unbreakable bond, we all must remember that to live like Harold is to live on as a hero capable of achieving anything possible even until his last breath.
The life he led was one of selflessness and generosity – with a grand heart and a strong head on his shoulders, he would always put others first. In his memory, we all can strive to live life more caring, helpful and loving to everyone in our lives.
