Henry "Hank" Bartholomew III

Henry "Hank" Bartholomew III lived a life rich in family and friends. A hard worker who had a gift for detail, Hank never shied from a challenge and also knew how to have a good time. Whether providing for his family, enjoying a vacation, detailing a car, or casting his line in local waters, Hank welcomed each day as a gift. Hank truly treasured his family and relished every moment they shared. A devoted husband, father, brother, and friend, Hank will long be remembered and ever so missed.

1944 marked a time when all American lives were directly impacted by the war effort in Europe. While countless young people actively served in the trenches of WWII, those who remained stateside poured their energies into supporting the war effort in any way they could. As Americans welcomed the end of meat rationing and began planting Victory Gardens, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill and soon became the only U.S. president to be elected to a fourth term. As the nation looked toward peace, Henry and Mary (Hacker) Bartholomew celebrated their own hopes for the future as they welcomed their son Hank into their hearts and home on February 17, 1944, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Growing up in Kalamazoo Hank enjoyed the good company of his younger brother, Charles. The brothers got along well despite the occasional sibling bickering which included Henry chucking a key at Charles during a heated argument that left Charles with a chipped tooth. Hank’s father was a patternmaker at Babbitts while his mother dedicated herself to tending the home and raising the children. Many days were spent playing golf with Charles, and the pair broke a few golf clubs along the way. Hank was also a skilled softball pitcher.

Raised Catholic, Hank began his education at Alamo Elementary School before attending St. Augustine’s. Though he didn’t form a strong tie to Catholicism, he believed in Jesus. During high school, Hank began dating his future wife, Jeannine, who instantly knew he was “the one” when they first met. Hank graduated with the class of 1962. The happy couple married a few years later at St. Margaret’s and honeymooned out west.

Hank’s work life began at Babbitt’s with his father making patterns. An apprenticeship of sorts, Hank unfortunately was laid off. He found work at General Motors, but quit within a week; he disliked working at GM. Soon after he started working as a janitor at Upjohn Company, where he worked his way up to a pharmaceutical technician position. Working alongside his boss, Tom Guyer, and finding much more joy in this job, Hank had a great work ethic and always gave his best.

In time, Hank and Jeannine welcomed two sons to their family. Henry and Phillip were the centers of their worlds, and Hank devoted himself to providing his family a good life. He worked hard and taught his children the value of a strong work ethic. He was very tough and always followed through with jobs. Whether working for Upjohn, cleaning his car, or tending his home and lawn, Hank always gave great attention to detail and was exceptionally reliable.

Meticulous with his lawn and cars, Hank would pause his kids’ football playing when the lawn got too injured. Though the kids would try to “fluff up” grass to hide any damage, Hank always caught on. A big car guy, Hank was fairly mechanical and loved Fords. He would tune and check his car and often hung out at a garage with his buddies, where he would touch up and clean his car. Many weekends were spent washing cars instead of taking care of various other chores around the house like painting a room. He took pride and joy in his cars, washing, waxing, deep cleaning, and even painting intricate pinstripes on one of his cars.

Both Hank and Jeannine enjoyed fishing at local lakes. Hank learned to fish with his father; the pair enjoyed casting their lines together for many years. Hank would clean and cook up any fish caught and later enjoyed fishing with his children. Hank also enjoyed working on cars and attending races with his kids. Eventually, his son, Henry bought NASCAR tickets for his father, his brother Philip, and himself. The trio would bake in the sun for hours watching races and especially enjoyed watching Mark Martin take the wheel. The family also enjoyed vacationing at a lake cottage and taking a few memorable trips to Cedar Point.

A self-taught guitarist, Hank started playing guitar after high school. He played 50s and 60s rock on a 6-string guitar in a band with buddies around town. After winning a Gibson guitar while playing billiards, it became the guitar he always played. His son Henry plays guitar as well. In addition to playing guitar, Hank loved watching sports, baseball, basketball, and especially, golf. He loved the Detroit Tigers.

For many years Hank enjoyed going to the Lakes Area Conservation Club in Portage. He shot shotguns at the club and probably had pounds upon pounds of shotgun shells. He was an avid hunter in his backyard often going out to hunt dinner and returning with rabbits. He and his two sons, Henry, IV and Philip, would shoot clay pigeons for hours, always ending up at Applebee’s for dinner, which was an unspoken tradition of sorts.

Hank had a major sweet tooth and enjoyed any kind of ice cream. His favorite sweets included cordial cherries, strawberry ice cream, and Wendy’s Frosties. McDonald’s fries were another favorite indulgence. Though Hank only visited Puerto Rico twice, he mentioned the place constantly, fondly remembering every step of his vacations there. His constant reminiscing of Puerto Rico soon became family legend, and the inspiration for many jokes.

As we gather to celebrate Hank’s life, may we find much comfort in our many treasured memories of the man we were so blessed to know. May we also find comfort in carrying his legacy of hard work and good fun forward. In each moment we confidently face life’s challenges, enjoy a bowl of ice cream, spend the day fishing or hunting with a loved one, cheer on our favorite NASCAR driver, detail our car, or reminisce treasured vacation, we keep Hank’s memory alive and inspiring others as he so inspired each of us.

Henry “Hank” Bartholomew, III of Portage, age 80, died on August 31, 2024. Hank was preceded in death by his wife, Jeannine; his parents, and his brother, Charles “Chuck” Bartholomew. Surviving are his children: Henry (Tracy) Bartholomew IV and Philip Bartholomew; grandchildren: Jacob Henry Bartholomew and Jack John Bartholomew; sister-in-law, Judy Bartholomew; and many nieces and nephews.

Please join us at a Life Story Celebration on Saturday, September 14, from 10 AM – 12 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. Celebrate Hank’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on his dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.