Gerard "Jerry" Guay Bartlett

In Loving Memory Gerard “Jerry” Guay Bartlett March 16, 1953 – November 17, 2020 Gerard “Jerry” Bartlett of Walla Walla, WA, passed away November 17, 2020. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on June 19, 2021, at 11am, at Mount Rainer Christian Center, 43801 244th Ave SE, Enumclaw, WA 98022 Jerry was born on March 16, 1953, in Boise, Idaho, to Loraine and Mercedes Bartlett. He is survived by three siblings, Raymond Bartlett, Alice Zillen, and Thomas Bartlett. He was raised in Walla Walla, moved to the Tacoma area for most of his adult life, and returned back to his home town, Walla Walla, for the last ten years. Jerry married Diane Lynn Pope on June 26, 1978. He is survived by two daughters, Kim Hauffe and Allison Aaby, and two sons, Paul Bartlett and Timothy Bartlett, and seven grandchildren, Kate, Julia, Nate, Kiley, Carson, Tyler, and Addy. Jerry served at McChord Air Force Base as a jet engine mechanic. He retired on February 24, 2008, as a Senior Master Sergeant - Propulsion Section Chief. Jerry’s children have this message to share: Our beloved daddy passed into the presence of his Lord and Savior. It was sudden and unexpected, and we are heartbroken. Our dad imparted so much joy and beauty in our world. He took care of everyone and fixed everything and had an answer for every question, even if he didn’t really know the answer. Words cannot express how eternally blessed we are because he loved us. He was unfailingly kind. He was generous with his time, knowledge, and resources. He taught us how to be faithful and true by his daily example and self-sacrifice. He gave us a beautiful childhood and looked after us even into our adulthood. He embraced his sons and daughters-in-law as his own. His steady, patient, gentle presence filled our home. We can still see it all over everything he touched. Our dad was always there for us in the toughest of times too! He and Tim both suffered with Crohn’s Disease. This created a bond, even though painful and exhausting, dad was there to help with the emotional and physical toll of this disease. 1 Corinthians 11:1 - Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. This is our dad! We pray that many people will choose to follow his example of kindness and wisdom and love and grace and mercy and service. He sacrificed so much for so many people. He was a dad-figure to all those who worked under him at McChord and a friend to so many more. He served faithfully in his church and took care of all the details no one else wanted. He took such good care of our family and it was clear that loving people was his priority. We have a million memories of ocean vacations, kite flying, beach fires, long walks, camping, family games, movie nights, and road trips. Every year we would go to Manzanita Beach to fly stunt kites - he even built skim boards for us to play in the ocean with! And, he was always there to coach our baseball and soccer teams. His grandchildren adore him. Grandpa would always say yes if he could. Donuts are always the answer. Grandpa knew the best places to find exactly the thing they were looking for. They light up when they talk about him. He loved them completely and could always see something to praise in them. If you were fortunate enough to have been his friend, you know that he always put others first. Our dad never knew a stranger. He was the first one to offer to help and the last one to leave because he made sure that the work was done. We hope that others will remember his legacy and walk in the same path of integrity as our father. We will honor him most by learning from his example. We know that this pain we experience in our grieving is because there was so much love and joy in his living. He gave us everything and held back nothing that was good! He was our rock and encourager! He couldn’t have been a better father. 1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. Our dad followed the footsteps of Jesus. He always sought to do what he knew was right, even if it was hard, and he never wavered in the truth. He chose integrity, when others might have chosen dishonesty. He chose patience, when others might have chosen discord. He chose care and kindness, when others might have turned a blind eye. He chose to walk in the footsteps of Jesus because he knew there was more blessing in that than any selfish desire or negative pattern of behavior. He is a beautiful example of love, and I pray many will learn that from him. Our dad also took care of things with extreme precision… He knew how to do everything the right way, and he could fix anything. Every project was done with precise care and intentionality - he measured everything at least 5 times. He took incredible care of his yard and lawn, his cars, and his people. He poured so much care and love into everything he did, and it was evident. Even the way he wrapped Christmas presents was perfect! He lined up the paper exactly right so that it would match together even at the tape lines! Our dad was the BEST man. He was a hero to us all and he inspires us to be the best we can be in life. That’s love! Our dad. Intentional, purposeful, careful, thoughtful, humble, gracious, wise, patient, faithful, trustworthy, compassionate, gentle, forgiving, and a peacemaker. I’m sure I could share a memory to go with each of these attributes of my dad. He will be so incredibly missed, and yet, will continue to be cherished in the example and love that he gave. Jerry Bartlett was our Dad. He was our champion, advisor, encourager, comforter, teacher, mentor, and friend. We are so proud to have been his children. If you ever see us serving selflessly or working hard at something, you’re seeing a glimmer of him. Our family will carry him in our hearts and our lives until we meet again. We thank our gracious and merciful God for this man He gave to us.