Mayo Peter Bartlett

The family of Mayo Peter Bartlett has confirmed his passing on September 11, 2025. He passed peacefully at Greenwich Hospital following an extended illness. He was 86 years old.

He was born in Rye, New York on July 3, 1939, to Mayo and Elizabeth Bartlett. He loved sports, art, jazz and travel, but most of all, despite growing up during the Jim Crow Era, he loved people and was always focusing on the best in humanity, often saying, and truly believing “most people are good.” Perhaps his perspective was a gift from his father, who would always proclaim that “we have been wonderfully blessed” because we had each other, and others who entered our lives and made life more enjoyable.

He was an outstanding basketball player who played in Europe. He loved to tell people he “was a great shooter” and shared his skills with countless young people he coached. While he loved helping the kids improve as basketball players, he was more interested in helping to prepare them for life. He was also a jazz enthusiast who was particularly drawn to Sarah Vaughan and Clifford Brown and this was reflected in his extensive collection of LPs.

Mayo attended North Carolina Central University, where he became a member of the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated in the Fall of 1959, and later graduated with a degree in accounting. While attending North Carolina Central University he met his wife Ernestine “Tina” Conner who was pursuing a chemistry degree at West Virginia State University. They were married in 1961, and lived as husband and wife for 51 years, until Tina’s passing in 2012. They were partners in the truest sense of the word, and supported each other in innumerable ways. Particularly memorable is his support for her when she pursued a law degree while they each worked full time and raised their family. Together, they also traveled extensively throughout the world. After graduating from college, he embarked upon an accounting career as a Treasury Agent, and later as an auditor for the IRS. Known for his friendships, he cultivated relationships during his career that endured for more than 50 years.

Mayo leaves behind children Monique Haygood (Eric), Dana Bryant (Craig) and Mayo Gregory Bartlett (Judy). Perhaps he was most joyous about his five grandchildren, affectionately known as his “dividends”! They are Myles Massey, Sara and Ethan Bartlett, and Jordan and Dylan Bryant. He was their number one fan, rooting for them as they played basketball, soccer, lacrosse and engaged in their track and field careers. More importantly, he loved the people they had become.

He loved his sister Juanita Merritt and his brother Robert “Bob” Bartlett, both of whom predeceased him. He leaves behind a host of cousins, nieces and nephews, and many friends.

We celebrate his extraordinary life, and are deeply grateful for the many life lessons he taught, and continues to teach us. As he was known to say, “it’s been a good run”.

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ATTENTION: During the continuing COVID & various health concerns, as we phase back into smaller capacity public visitations/services, we need your help in limiting/controlling the number of people, so please govern yourself accordingly for the health & safety of all. Thank you so kindly!

A Wake/Visitation will be held on Friday September 19th, 2025, from 10:00AM-11:00AM at Union Baptist Church, followed by Funeral Service at 11:00AM. So you may come to the Church to attend, & feel free to wear masks. At the very least you can get hand sanitizer & sign the register book (NOTE: please feel free to bring your own pen). If not at capacity, you will be allowed in to have a seat; but if at capacity by the time you get there, you may be required to leave the premises after signing register book, so as not to be in violation nor cause a health hazard, so please govern yourself accordingly. Regardless of if you're able to enter/be seated, or not, please refrain from too much touching/hugging/handshaking, preferably elbow bumping briefly if at all. If instructed, PLEASE KINDLY RESPECTFULLY leave the building & premises if the church is at their capacity. PLEASE KINDLY RESPECTFULLY follow & abide by the directions of the funeral home staff and/or church or cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & policies, so as to make all go smoothly the days of the services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the funeral home and/or church, and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.

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The Entire Staff of Lee's Funeral Home, LLC respects that the family of Mayo Peter Bartlett entrusted the care of their loved one to us, and that they value the level of service & attention our funeral home provides. We are honored, in turn, to provide comfort, assistance and service to the Bartlett Family during their time of bereavement.

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Please leave written condolences now herein on the Memory Wall to express your sorrow, share your memories, and as an expression of sympathy & way to communicate with/offer comfort to the family, that they and others may see, and may be a lasting tribute in his honor, whether you're able to attend or not. Definitely Please SIGN IN on the Memory Wall as a virtual way of signing the register book, especially if choosing to stay safe/not able to sign in person.

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Please feel free to come to the church wearing a mask, & feel free to wear a mask inside the church &/or at cemetery, and social distance as much as possible. If you know you have a coronavirus/COVID-19; are sick/experiencing symptoms of coronavirus/COVID-19/Measles; are immuno-compromised and/or have health/other conditions that make your body more susceptible to illness, please do NOT attend any services nor come to any facility. Please feel free to bring & use your own pen for signing the family's register book - you are encouraged to please BRING & use your own PEN for signing. Please follow & abide by the rules of the church, and directions of the funeral home staff and/or church & cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & any policies, so as to make all go smoothly the day of services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the church and/or funeral home, and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.

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In lieu of flowers as a lasting tribute, the family kindly suggests a contribution may be made in his name/memory/honor to the Ernestine Bartlett Memorial Scholarship fund at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University (may be done simply through the donation link right here Ernestine Bartlett Scholarship , or done on your own to: the Ernestine Bartlett Memorial Scholarship fund at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, checks should be payable to - “Pace Haub Law School” with the “Ernestine Bartlett Scholarship” on the memo line & mailed to: Pace University, Gift Processing Center, PO Box 419268, Boston, MA 02241-9268), and/or you may choose to plant a tree in his name/memory/honor, as the family prefers NO flowers. If sending flowers despite the family request, they may be delivered on either Thursday September 18th, 2025 by/before 6:00PM to Lee's Funeral Home, or Fri. Sept. 19th, 2025 by/before 9:45AM to Union Baptist Church. The Family Thanks You!