Kelly Bartholomew, 37, of Rock River, WY departed this life on November 6, 2016. Beloved son, brother, brother-in-arms, and community member.
Kelly served with honor in the United States Air Force and as Assistant Fire Chief of Rock River V.F.D.
His ready smile and willingness to help whoever needed it will be long remembered. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle with friends, working on his old trucks and his home.
He is survived by his mother, Carol; and his brother, Nate.
His father, Larry preceded him in death.
A visitation will be held from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Saturday, November 19, 2016 at Montgomery-Stryker Funeral Home with Military Honors by the F.E. Warren Airforce Base.
A celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, November 26, 2016 at the Rock River Fire Hall.
Memorial contributions may be made in Kelly’s name to the Rock River Volunteer Fire Department,
PO Box 94, Rock River, WY 82083.
MSgt Bart, I will forever miss how welcoming you were to me since day one when I joined the 39th as a new airman. Your charisma and "can do" attitude quickly reflected your abilities as an NCO and a man of incredible admiration. I will forever and always remember our time together during our annual tour in California, sensational humor, laugh, and of course coffee in hand. Every time we passed by you would always come up with a new nickname for me and it always had a jesting ring to it. Thank you for your service, Your life truly made an impact on all of us here at the 39th. May you rest in peace above.
Kelly (Moosefarmer) you will be missed on the open road. You always had a great smile, an easy going look at life and the ability to take charge when needed. Our trips together, be it Sturgis, St Louie, or the Wild Wild West tour will always be locked in the memory box. I always enjoyed hearing of your tours in the desert. May you Rest In Peace my Brother... Mike Durant Ironworker
Kelly (Moosefarmer) you will be missed on the open road. You always had a great smile, an easy going look at life and the ability to take charge when needed. Our trips together, be it Sturgis, St Louie, or the Wild Wild West tour will always be locked in the memory box. I always enjoyed hearing of your tours in the desert. May you Rest In Peace my Brother... Mike Durant Ironworker
This is too difficult to accept. I would have loved more time with Kelly. His kind soul, loving heart, his tight hugs will always be with me. I have been extremely fortunate to have had found this treasure and will forever love and cherish the memories inside my heart. Carol, my deepest condolences, you have raised your son to be a huge footprint in a lot of lives that will miss him tremendously.
MSgt Bartholomew it is with a heavy heart that you will be greatly missed. You were a wonderful Senior NCO and have impacted so many with your mentorship. Not only were you a great Mentor and Senior NCO but you were a good friend and brother in arms.
Our "port" will forever be changed. Bart, you were one of a kind...marching to the beat of your own drum, yet never knowing a stranger. One of my favorite memories took place during our AT in Seattle, WA. Our group participated in an obstacle course, and Bart put the "hurt" on even the youngest Airmen as he made climbing the telephone poll look like a breeze! True to "Bart fashion," he was sporting the green wool socks with his shorts and T-shirt! Certainly a man of many talents :) Bart, you will be missed beyond measure; we smile big and raise our coffee cups in your honor! Christina
We will always think of Kelly with pride. Our hearts go out to you Carol and to you Nate.
Bart -- you were one of a kind with a heart of gold. With that big cheesy mustache and goofy smile, I'll never forget how you were one of the first to welcome me to the 39th. Always willing to lend a hand, you would have given the shirt off your back for any of us. With your great sense of humor and easy going way, you made our time in the desert a deployment I'll never forget. Watch over us with coffee cup in hand! I'll miss you, buddy, but I know I'll see you again one day.
Carol, our heart is with you during this sad time. We were saddened to hear of Kelly's passing. Our prayers are with you and Nate.
Kelly always looked our way waved & smiled. Stop & ask if needed help if working on project. Respectful of us old people.
What can I say about Bart that hasn't already been said. Bart you were the heart of the squadron! I'm honored to be your friend and brother in arms! I remember your first day in the squadron with that fro and everyone knows the mustache, coffee cup and cigarette. We got promoted to TSgt together and your phone rang as Col Gregory was pinning you. Sorry for the slap upside the head that followed. In the desert you always kept everyone's spirits up with your weekly reader or Tattler. When ever someone needed something you would always jump in never afraid of failure and never doing it for the credit. You just did it because that's who you are. Watch over us buddy! I love you Bart! God bless you and your family!
Bart you were a great friend and soldier. You were dedicated and made sure everyone around you was too. I am proud to have had the pleasure of knowing you and be a friend. I won't forget the memories and that caterpillar of a mustache, and I hope they have all the strong coffee they can for you in heaven!
Kelly, or Bart' - the famous Bart from Cincinnati Ohio - touched most of us who knew him for a number of years. The cowboy of the group, you could always tell whose truck was Bart's by looking at the parking lot. I remember him joining our Squadron as a skinny young twenty something (possibly ~21 years old), always full of energy - and coffee at hand of course - he quickly became one of our top Air Transportation knowledgeable members. As the top dawg Load Planner, I also remember him performing load planning calculations during an exercise on top of a pallet as aircraft lines kept getting changed at last minute. He was, as I called him then and now, a stud muffin !! And I say so with the highest respect and admiration. He left much too early, and I wish him to be in peace and enjoying the "next life".
MSgt Bartholomew "BART" will be greatly missed. I've known & worked with Bart for 7+ years and I've always loved to see that crazy grin of his. With his coffee cup in tow, he was always around and always boosting morale in some way. As a very experienced aerial porter and Senior NCO, his presence was welcome in any work center and any situation. During a conversation between my wife and I, we can't remember anyone ever being as loved and appreciated around the port as much as Bart. "Brother", you're presence will be greatly missed but you'll be with us in spirit forever. Gone but never forgotten, rest in peace in the halls of Valhalla.
Bart, we just got this AT thing down... I use you as an example of how to be a great NCO. You always put others first and took care of your Airmen. Your knowledge, humor and most of all, your friendship is going to be missed. Cheeseburger (I'm finding out, that sometimes it is not enough)
Kelly will be missed by so many because he touched so many. He is one of a kind and a great friend. My heart goes out to his family in this time of need. If there is anything I can do to help you Carol, please let me know. Sandy
With a heavy heart and a saddened soul, we regretfully mourn in Bart's sudden and unexpected passing. He will always be a part of our lives for we all know that he is in heaven making sure to groom that mustache and beard. Morning coffe, UTA's, trips to Starbucks, and many other memories of him live on through us. He truly was such a magnificently beautiful person who could make the best out of almost any situation. Our hearts and prayers are with his family and all of the people who've been touched by his presence. Peace be with you.
Bart and I shared many a great tour and greater moments during my stay with the 39th, I could fill this page with ridiculous stories and adventures, but I will save that for another day. We shared many long conversations of life over a pot of stiff coffee, triple espressos, pipes and cigars, those were the best bad habits as long as he was there. He was my right hand man in many occasions, willing to bend over backward to help a friend. One occasion, he rescued my wife from being without a vehicle due to some issues that I couldn’t figure out, I cannot remember for the life of me how or why he was around, but he was, she sends her deepest condolences. Never forget ya my brotha Barty! “Woody”
MSgt. Bartholomew is such a great guy and senior NCO that I always like to reach out to for questions; this is a great loss for our squadron and the wing as a whole. I remembered him offering to fix my vehicle for me, also explaining some things about our job to me the UTA prior to his demise. His great sense of humor, humility and selflessness service will forever be missed. I pray for the fortitude to bear this great loss...
I am so saddened to hear about Bart's passing. He is one of the true greats. I will never forget our talks and him and his coffee cup. He always had a great attitude and willing to help. He was a great friend and NCO. I wish his family the strength to get through these tough times.
Kelly was a top-notch man who was truly born to be an NCO. Even as a young airman, he exemplified the model NCO behaviors and was loved by all. He made a terrific name for himself with the 39th APS and will always be remembered as family.
MSgt Bartholomew was one of the most inspirational mentors and leaders in the aerial port. His consistent positive attitude, humor and outlook on life touched every person he spoke to. He was truly an individual that many looked up to. As someone who had an UNBELIEVABLY kind soul, his memory will live on with every member of the 39th.
To say Bart made an impact on this earth while he was here for short time would be an understatement by far. He was an amazing Senior NCO, a great friend and a beloved colleague . I will miss him immensely and still be looking for him to come around the corner with a big mug of coffee in his hand . See you on the other side my friend.
Bart was the example of a dedicated Air Force Aerial Porter. Just being in his presence put you in a better mood. He had no airs about him and was loved by everyone. I am going to miss this guy immensely. I hope God has a big strong pot of coffee for my friend. Bart, you lived a life of honor my friend and I will see you on the other side.
Bart's great attitude and sense of humor reminded me to always laugh at the absurdities of life in the Air Force and go with the flow and for that perspective and advice I am grateful. SrA Miranda
Bart is one of the best aerial porters, friends and just all around great guys I know. His corky smile, push broom mustache, his willingness to help ANYONE in need and his never ending positive attitude are just a couple of characteristics that made Bart the amazing man he is. Bart will be forever missed, but will forever live on in our hearts.