Dr. William H. Bartlett

Dr. William H. (Bill, Doc B) Bartlett (88) of Middleton, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on June 3, 2015, at Attic Angel Place. Bill was born on August 17, 1926, in Pontiac, IL, to Dr. F. Herbert Bartlett, a TB sanitarium physician, and Lucy Weeks Bartlett, of Fairfield, Maine. The Bartletts moved to Muskegon, Michigan to raise Bill and his two brothers, George and Richard. Over the protestations of countless other suitors, Bill wooed and won the hand of the beautiful and kindhearted Phyllis Ruth Belgrave, also of Muskegon, and married her on June 16, 1951, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He was voted "Class Athlete" at Muskegon High, lettering in football, basketball and baseball, and worked as a lifeguard on Muskegon's Lake Michigan beaches. Bill played football for Michigan State; the U.S. Naval Academy; and his beloved University of Michigan Wolverines, winning "Big 10" and national championships. Supported by his wife, Phyllis, Bill completed his medical degree at University of Michigan. He served his internship at University of Colorado Medical Center; and completed his pediatric residency at Denver's Children's Hospital. Bill and Phyllis' first and second children, Michael James and Mary Lisbeth, were born in Denver. Bill and Phyllis moved their young family to Madison in 1957, when Bill became the third pediatrician in Dean Clinic's fledgling pediatric practice, which now boasts 25 pediatricians. A beloved pediatric sports medicine pioneer and humanitarian, "Doc B" was Bill's nickname during his 40-year career and the name graced his license plate for decades. During the 1960's, Doc B his colleagues, Drs. Geppert, Geppert, Hopkins, and Andringa, made countless house calls and embraced a team approach to practicing medicine, making rounds together every single weekday morning. During the flu epidemic of January 1960, Doc B recalls making 56 house calls in one weekend, being served a meatloaf sandwich by a family on the east side and dessert by another family on the west side to keep him going. Bill and Phyllis' third child, Peter Belgrave, was born during the spring of that year. During the polio epidemic of 1964, Doc B organized the massive Dane County Polio Vaccine Drive, which took place at Camp Randall field house. While at a Dean Clinic party when he was on call, Doc B received a frantic message from the hospital in Stoughton, Wisconsin, 20 miles from Madison. Premature twin babies had been born there and needed expert medical attention. Doc B raced off to Stoughton and transported the twins to the intensive care neonatal unit at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison in his own Chevy station wagon, putting the twins' survival above any possible legal issues; ambulances were much harder to secure in those days. The twins lived, thrived and became Doc B's patients. When he retired from Dean Clinic in 1993, Doc B was still seeing newborns, many of them the children and even grandchildren of parents he had taken care of as youngsters. In retirement, he remained active in community service until illness curtailed his activities. He especially enjoyed mentoring struggling students at Madison's Randall Elementary School. He took his mother Lucy's advice to heart in his life: "I'd rather see you wear out than rust out." Doc B received countless local, state and national awards, including "Wisconsin Pediatrician of the Year" in 1991; the American Academy of Pediatrics "Dr. Thomas E. Shaffer Award" for Lifetime Contributions to Pediatric Sports Medicine in 2002; and the Madison Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Doc B also served on dozens of professional and public service organizations. He was founder and president of Dane County Sports Medicine Council; and served on the Governors Council for Health and Physical Fitness; the Special Olympics Board of Directors; and Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association (WIAA) Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. Doc B was a longtime WIAA Medical Coverage Coordinator and spearheaded the "Foundation for Madison Public Schools Athletic Training Rooms Program." For many years he served as team physician at Memorial and La Follette high schools. In his honor, Memorial students created a special cheer just for him; and La Follette named their new field house "Bartlett Fieldhouse." A lifelong Michigan Wolverines fan, Doc B was also an avid supporter of the University of Wisconsin's (UW) athletic teams as a "Bucky's Ambassador" and organizer of the annual "Crazylegs Classic Run." Bill is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Phyllis; his three children: Michael James of Madison (Dewayne), Mary Lisbeth of Philadelphia (Roy) and Peter Belgrave of Dallas (Monica); three grandchildren: Oliver Bartlett Backes, Ashley Nicole Bartlett, and Blake Belgrave Bartlett; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, George W. Bartlett and Dr. Richard J. Bartlett. Doc B was cared for in his final two years by his devoted son, Michael; caregivers Sharon Borland and Bernadette Geoghegan; and the wonderful staff and volunteers at Attic Angel Place. He was also deeply proud of his son Michael's Emmy Award winning music career; his daughter Mary Lisbeth's award-winning professional acting and teaching careers; and his son Peter's successful Dallas packaging business. He was equally proud of his grandchildren, including Oliver Bartlett Backes, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Ivy League's University of Pennsylvania and the Russia-Eurasia Program's research assistant at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a foreign policy think tank in Washington, D.C.; Ashley Nicole Bartlett, a high honors Coppell High School junior and Academic All-American/Texas All-State Lacrosse player; and last, but not least, Blake Belgrave Bartlett, who recently won Coppell Middle School's highest award, the prestigious "Vern Edin Award," for his stellar athletic and academic accomplishments as well as his superb citizenship. Doc B and Phyllis were devout members of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church for over half a century, where Bill served on the Vestry and Phyllis served on Altar Guild. They donated an ornate gold cross that graces the church's sanctuary. Doc B adored ice cream (especially from UW's Babcock Hall) but gave it up for Lent every single year of his adult life. In his spare time, Doc B was an avid golfer and cribbage player who loved to win (understatement of the century), and ran in dozens of marathons for charity. He was, however, admittedly terrible at playing charades. Doc B loved to vacation at the family's "Bartlett Pair" cottage on Lake Michigan in Door County, enjoying gardening, eagle-spotting, swimming and playing sports on the beach with his grandkids. He relished his daughter's whitefish chowder (with an ice cold glass of Spotted Cow lager, Merkt's cheese spread on Ritz crackers, and cherry pie ala mode), as well as roasting Bley's homemade brats with his family at their beachside fire pit, where he often crooned his favorite song, Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher," while toasting marshmallows for "S'mores" under the stars. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 21, Father's Day, to celebrate a great father, husband and doctor, at 2PM at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 1833 Regent Street, Madison, with Father Andy Jones presiding. There will be a reception in the parish hall following the service. Burial will take place at a later date at Lakeview Cemetery in Jacksonport, Door County overlooking Doc B's beloved Lake Michigan shoreline. Visitation will be held on Sunday, June 21, from 1 PM at St. Andrews until the time of the service. The Bartlett family extends their heartfelt thanks to the remarkable and loving staff and volunteers of Attic Angel Place, Dr. Connie Andringa, Father Andy Jones, Pat Bernhardt, Sharon Borland, Bernadette Geoghegan, Carolyn and Phil Klemett, and countless other friends and family, for their invaluable support during Doc B's final illness. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Madison School District Athletic Training Rooms, c/o Jeremy Schlitz, CAA Athletic Director, Madison Memorial HS, 201 So. Gammon Rd., Madison WI 53717-1499.