Jeffery Lee Bartlett

The Reverend Jeffery Lee Bartlett, age 65, passed from this world at 7:20 a.m. Saturday, July 25, 2020 at Hospice of Central Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.  Throughout his 15-month struggle with leukemia, Jeff continued to experience the joy of the Lord whom he loved with all his heart and with whom he now resides eternally.

Jeff was born in Elyria, Ohio June 20, 1955, a son of the late Clyde V. and Kathryn (Hardy) Bartlett.

On November 28, 1981, he married the love of his life, the former Brenda Sue Johnson.  The couple met at Camp Christian where Jeff also worked as a lifeguard and maintenance staff during summers of his early college years.

In addition to his wife of thirty eight years, Jeff is also survived by a daughter, Katie Nicole (Christopher Jyoti) Rollins of New Mexico; a son, Christopher Ryan (Genevieve Sauvage) Bartlett of Chicago; two grandsons, Elijah Rollins and Jadon Rollins; a brother, Terry (Diane) Bartlett of Akron, Ohio; a sister, Jeanine (Steve) Waisala of Aurora, Ohio and several nieces and nephews.

Jeff attended Mount Union College and then completed his undergraduate degree in psychology from The Ohio State University.  In 1981, he obtained his Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas and was ordained into Christian Ministry through the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Jeff began his ministry in Missouri where he served as Associate Pastor of Hillside Christian Church in Kansas City for three years and then as Senior Pastor of First Christian Church in Centralia for five years.

After moving back to Ohio in 1990, Jeff served as Pastor of the Fourth Avenue Christian Church in Columbus for four years and the First Christian Church in Bellefontaine for eleven years.  After receiving specialized training in the interim ministry process, Jeff pastored several Ohio congregations in that role: First Christian Church in Wilmington, Gender Road Christian Church in Canal Winchester, United Christian Church in Englewood, South Union Mennonite Church in West Liberty and an extended interim ministry with First Christian Church in Athens.

Jeff was enthusiastic about sharing his faith and telling others of the many ways God had blessed his life, especially in the last year.  Jeff’s medical team at the James Cancer Hospital expressed amazement at his grateful disposition and joyful sense of humor.

Jeff was passionate about nurturing peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness, through Christ.  He had heartfelt compassion for others, especially the poor and oppressed.  He participated in mission trips and projects and was always reading and seeking better ways to equip the Church to be Christ’s hands and feet in the world.

A couple special experiences for Jeff were riding a bicycle 840 miles from Kansas City to San Antonio to raise money for the Reconciliation offering and officiating the weddings of his daughter and three nieces.

Jeff was a devoted husband, loving father and super-fun grandpa.  With his family, he enjoyed camping in the mountains, hiking to waterfalls, whitewater rafting and simply enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.  Just four weeks ago he was vigorously paddling a kayak on a scenic lake!

A memorial service for Jeff will begin at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, August 1, 2020 at the Gender Road Christian Church in Canal Winchester, Ohio.  Visitation will commence at 10:30 a.m.  The spacious facility will allow for safe social distancing and guests are asked to wear a mask.  The service will also be live streamed on the Gender Road Christian Church Facebook page and on the homepage of the church website at www.genderroadcc.com

The staff of the Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home & Cremation Center is honored to serve the Bartlett family.

E.T.