Obituary of John Bartlett

Captain John Harwood Bartlett, age 66, born June 22, 1947, Oakland, California to parents Jerry F. Bartlett and Elisabeth Harwood Bartlett, died in his sleep at home on December 10, 2013. He lived in Alva, Florida with his loving spouse of 21 years, Elke Margaret Thuerling. John was an integral team member to Diana Nyad's: www.diananyad.com He was the Navigator for her last three attempts to be the first person to swim from Cuba to Key West. With John's diligent navigation, the team celebrated success on September 2, 2013 when Diana Nyad finally accomplished this monumental feat. John graduated Class of 1965, Penney HS, East Hartford, Connecticut, and attended Pratt Institute of Design, NY, for Industrial and Architectural Design. Living in Venice Beach and Monterey California, John acquired many skills including carpentry, auto painting, playing flute and guitar, meditation, sailing and sail making, before returning to Connecticut as a leather craftsman in the 70's, owning a store, True Hide in Manchester, CT, while also playing bass in the band Electric Cowboy. John Bartlett was an artist and gifted craftsman, musician, business owner, boat designer and builder. John loved windsurfing, sailing and sea kayaking! Living in the Florida Keys (mainly Marathon) for over 30 years, he became a skilled Captain, Sailor and Navigator, owned a sail loft, studied with a naval architect and started Coral Island Yachts, designing and building custom US Coast Guard certified day charter catamarans. Able to take a design concept from a small piece of paper to a finished sculpture on the water, John also designed and built Mirage, a unique 70' power outrigger as a Mothership for sea kayaking. Elke and John ran their eco charter business, Kayak Voyagers throughout the Florida Keys, Everglades, Bahamas and Gulf Islands off Fort Myers from 1999 to 2012. KayakVoyagers.com/ now being carried on anew by Keith and Camille Klingele, Alva, FL. John also learned to fly sport planes while living in Okeechobee, FL. John was an animal lover and regularly donated to several environmental causes and animal shelters. John is also survived by three sisters and their families: Peggy Goddard (husband Paul) in Los Angeles CA; Ann Singer (husband Mitchell) in Schenectady NY; Geri Hudkins in Alva FL; niece Jennifer Sexton, Wyncote PA; nephews Tom Wilkes (wife Lari) Alva FL; Derek Singer (wife Laura) Amherst NH; Russell Singer, Los Angeles CA, and by Elke's children Kristina Aston, Miami FL, and John Aston (wife Karen) Bristol CT. To honor the memory of John Bartlett, donations may be made to "CATNAHAF" or "NRDC". Catnahaf is John Bartlett's first trimaran of his own design and build. A special fund, Catnahaf, has been set up to complete his dream. Mail donations to: Catnahaf, PO Box 1003, Alva, FL 33920. coralislandyachts.com/catnahaf.html NRDC-Natural Resources Defense Council is John Bartlett's favorite environmental advocacy group. To donate, go to www.nrdc.org/joingive/Default.asp, click Honorary Gifts.