James Henry Bartholomew Obituary

James Henry Bartholomew attended Richwoods High School in Peoria, IL. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about James Henry Bartholomew.

Graduation Year	Class of 1960
Date of Passing	Mar 19, 2022
About	It is with heavy heart that I post the loss of my father and best friend. My father suffered from advanced heart disease and lost his battle this year. He passed away peacefully as he slept during the afternoon of March 19, 2022. He was 80. He is survived by his wife, Kay Bartholomew, married 53 years, as well as 1 son, Victor, 2 step-children, and 3 step-grandchildren. His half-brother, Jon Bateman, also survives him. He often spoke fondly of his days at Richwoods HS, enjoying his time on the track team and swim team, as well as life-guarding and caddying. He always shared with me his love for history, and his desire to keep acquiring knowledge was unquenchable. In fact, he ordered two college level courses in his last year of life, in spite of his failing health, and was always looking things up on the computer in a desire to keep learning, right up to the end. I have no doubt that those seeds of life-long learning were planted a long time ago, and Richwoods HS played a big role in that. Lastly, his value system was everything that a son could desire from a father. He never tried to live vicariously through me or force me to live the life that he wanted me to live. Always there for me, no matter what. Devoted to his wife for as long as he could. BTW, mom is in a nursing home with dementia, and up until COVID hit, he would visit her daily, bringing her fresh cut fruit from the grocery store for an extra little treat. Although, a strong value system begins in the home, it is also reinforced at school. His was second to none. Although our high school years are not the sum total of our life experiences that shape us, I certainly believe that his years at Richwoods elevated him and made him better. Thank you to all that helped shape him. He will be deeply missed. Sincerely, Victor Bartholomew