Walter E. Bartlett ’53 died on February 26, 2023, in Naples, Florida.
(The following was provided by the Fuller Funeral Home on February 26, 2023)
Walter E. Bartlett ’53
Walter Bartlett of Naples, Florida, died February 26, 2023. Mr. Bartlett grew up in Waltham, MA. He attended Waltham High School where he played basketball and baseball. In his last two years, he led the suburban league in scoring and was named to the All-Tech Tournament Team. He was a National Honor Society Member.
He then attended Bowdoin College where he led the basketball team in scoring and baseball team in hitting over his three years of Varsity Sports. He graduated cum laude.
Upon graduation, Mr. Bartlett went to work for New England Telephone and spent his entire career in the Bell System. He attended Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development and Carleton College’s Executive Program. His various assignments included general network manager, vice president of public relations and he retired as vice president of marketing. His most interesting assignment was for AT&T as executive vice president for Iran, where he worked at designing and installing a $15-billion network. Unfortunately, six months into his assignment, the revolution started, and he was airlifted by C-5 cargo planes out of Iran.
Mr. Bartlett served on many boards, but his favorite experience was as the Eastern Regional Finance Committee, where the organization he directed raised over one million dollars for the United States Olympic Committee and the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles.
He was a long-time resident of Lynnfield and a member of the Salem Country Club, the York Golf and Tennis Club, and the Naples Grande Golf Club.
Mr. Bartlett leaves his wife and beloved companion of thirty years, Phyllis Clifford, his three children; David, Dara, and Peter; his sister, Mary Ellen McLeod, seven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews; who will all deeply miss him. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Andrea. and his sister, Martha Gladman.