For anyone who knew him, the late George Bartlett of Raymond was a tireless community champion and someone who unselfishly gave of his time to others. Now his kind spirit and generous nature will forever be remembered as a new granite bench in his memory has been dedicated at Raymond Veterans Park overlooking Sebago Lake.
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| The family of late businessman and community supporter George Bartlett gather at Raymond Veterans Park on Saturday, June 8 as a bench was dedicated in his honor there and was donated by his fellow members of the Sebago Lake Rotary Club. From left are George's grandson, Owen Bartlett, son George Bartlett, wife Jane Bartlett, and daughter Vicki Bartlett. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE |
To pay tribute to his willingness to step up and help his neighbors and his service as an international ambassador for the Rotary Club, members of the Sebago Lake Rotary Club purchased the granite bench and hosted the dedication event for Bartlett’s family and friends. The ceremony included an American Legion Color Guard and a bagpiper and several of his friends and Rotary colleagues shared stories about working with him.
“George was the epitome of what it is to be a member of Rotary,” said Sebago Lake Rotary Club President Robin Mullins. “George was a Rotarian for 38 years and he accomplished so many good things during that time.”
As an international ambassador for Rotary, starting in 1990 and continuing right up until a few months before his death in 2023, Bartlett made numerous trips to Romania, bringing them greatly needed medical supplies and books for students. During a Rotary International project in 1998, he helped to collect and deliver more than $750,000 worth of dialysis and medical equipment for Romanian hospitals. While in Romania, he lived with Romanian families and developed many long-distance, lasting friendships.
He also was instrumental in establishing Rotary-affiliated Interact Clubs for high school students in Maine. While there, he stayed with his adopted Rotary family, making long-distance, long-term friendships. While visiting Romania, he was directly responsible for launching new Interact Clubs in Ramnicu, Valcea, and other seven cities throughout Romania and he also helped a young student from Romania, Gabriella Saftiou, to visit Maine. Bartlett continued to stay in touch with Saftiou and other Romania families he became close friends with on his trips there right up until his death.
Through operating his business, the Busy Bee Laundromat for 38 years, Bartlett kept his finger on the pulse of the community and knew what was important to residents of the Lakes Region.
“I didn’t know George for as long as some of the other people here today did,” Mullins said. “He was someone I valued though and always made time to see him when he came to my office. Once he asked me what I thought would be a great local charity to benefit from the Polar Dip, which was part of the Sebago Lake Rotary Club's Annual Ice Fishing Derby. I recommended the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce’s charitable trust called ‘Feed The Need’ which benefits food pantries throughout the Lakes Region. We then started the Sebago Lakes Region Polar Dip for Feed the Need in 2021.”
His father owned the Bartlett Radio Company when he was young and while helping at his father’s business after school, he became interested in mechanics, and later earned a college degree in mechanical engineering after a stint in the U.S. Army. Being an adept mechanic helped him maintain and repair washing machines and dryers at the Busy Bee Laundromat, which he opened in 1985 in Windham.
Mullins said that Bartlett’s outgoing personality made it easy for him to make friends and encourage others to lend a hand for charitable projects. His energy seemed to be boundless.
“He was a great partner for me in organizing the Polar Dip,” she said. “My job is to take the volunteers and help them work together on projects to benefit the community. There was nobody better at doing that.”
According to Mullins, Bartlett was also deeply spiritual, and she would ask him to give the invocation before Rotary Club meetings.
“His invocations were always hand-written on little pieces of paper, and somehow he never lost his place,” she said. “His care about others was a result of his spirituality.”
State Rep. Jessica Fay of Raymond said that the new bench is a fitting tribute to Bartlett.
“What a great way to remember our friend who spent his life supporting this community,” Fay said. “He just made people feel comfortable. George Bartlett spent so much of his life giving to others and he would want you to think about volunteering if he were here today.”
Bartlett’s daughter, Vicki Bartlett, said that her family was pleased to learn that a bench would be created in his honor by the Rotary Club.
“It’s such an honor,” she said. “Dad did so many wonderful things with the community. He did it his way, but he would be honored and humbled by this gesture today.”
She said something many people didn’t know about her father was that he loved magic and started performing magic tricks at a young age and was also a puppeteer. <
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