Stanley Urton Bartlett
July 22, 1921 – May 15, 2010
Stan died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the age of 88. He was born on July 22, 1921 in Wasco, California, to parents Herbert and Edith Bartlett. Stan’s father moved the family to Santa Barbara the day after the 1925 earthquake to help his brother-in-law, Charles Urton, with the rebuilding of what became Stan’s life long home.
Stan joined the Boy Scouts of America at the age of 8, becoming a member of the local Mission Council, now part of the expanded Los Padres Council. He became an Eagle Scout at the age of 14. Stan continued to be active in Scouting throughout his life. He received the Silver Beaver Award in 1976 and in 1986 he was recognized as a Distinguished Eagle Scout for outstanding service to others, the only recipient between Los Angeles and San Francisco to have received the honor at the time. In 1999 he became a James E. West Fellow.
Stan joined the Air Corps in his senior year of college and was stationed in Roswell, New Mexico where he was a Flight Instructor, teaching new recruits how to fly B-17 Bombers. It was in Roswell where he met his future wife Lenore. They married in 1943.
After obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in economics from UC Berkeley, Stan and Lenore returned to Santa Barbara in 1946, where he founded the accounting firm of Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf. He retired in 1978, but did not slow down, juggling his travels with Lenore and continuing his tireless volunteer work with numerous charities and organizations including the Suburban Kiwanis, the Boy Scouts of America, The Unity Shoppe, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, Los Gringo Camp of Rancheros Vistadores, the Pescatore Club, the Channel City Club, Santa Barbara Sister Cities, the Fiesta Board, the First United Methodist Church and See International.
Stan was recognized for his community work when he received the Santa Barbara Foundation’s Man of the Year Award in 1999 and was honored with the Santa Barbara News Press’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.
Stan was a devoted brother to his “baby” sister Myrna Taylor (Walter) of Fillmore, California and loving father and mentor to his three daughters Linda Jennings of Mentone, California, Sue Ayling (Richard) and Terry Bartlett (Randy Fox), both of Santa Barbara. He was also a role model for his three grandsons Paul Jennings (Lisa), Tao Jennings (Jenna) of Mentone and Graham Fox of Santa Barbara, as well as two great-grandchildren. Stan was preceded in death by his beloved Lenore, his wife of 66 years, on January 24, 2010
“Find a man who takes pride in himself and gives freely to others,
who has the love of his family and the respect of his friends…
And I will show you a happy man.”
Stan was indeed a happy man and he will be missed by all those whose lives he has touched. A celebration of his life will be held at Harry’s Plaza Cafe 3313 State Street in Santa Barbara on June 19, 2010, 2 P.M. to 5 P.M. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Los Padres Council, Boy Scouts of America and to Visiting Nurses of Santa Barbara.
The family wishes to thank the Caregivers who provided such loving support and comfort to Stan in his final days.