THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170272
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: 43 lines
Robert Rusling Bartlett, 78, formerly of Media, Pa., and St. Petersburg, Fla., died Oct. 15, 1996, in his home.
He was the widower of Althea S. Bartlett, to whom he was married for 54 years. Mr. Bartlett, retired chief executive officer of L.P. Muller & Co., Inc., the oldest and largest distributor of sales yarn in the U.S., is survived by his daughter, Linda Burnett, a son-in-law, Dana Burnett, and granddaughters, Kristen and Amy.
Mr. Bartlett was born in Wenonah, N.J., and graduated from Woodbury (N.J.) High School with honors as both an athlete and scholar. After high school, he attended the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, as a night student while working for Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co. of Philadelphia. He began his business career as an office boy, and worked his way up to real estate tax supervisor for Provident Mutual. In March 1941 he was selected for the executive training program at Procter & Gamble Distributing Co. of Baltimore, where he worked in the credit department until his enlistment in the U.S. Army in 1943.
After graduating first in his class from the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Ga., he served with the Fifth Army, Italy, through September 1945. Upon release from active duty, he remained in the Army Reserves, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and ended his military career with a tour of duty as battalion commander, Army Security Agency, headquartered in Arlington, Va.
Mr. Bartlett served for five years as controller and office manager for Chandler Laboratories, Philadelphia. He was employed in February 1952 by L.P. Muller, where he served, until his retirement in 1980, as office manager and credit director, assistant treasurer, treasurer and director and, ultimately, as president and chief executive officer. He also served on the board of directors for Mutilectric Inc., Lancaster, Pa., Hamilton Bank, West Chester, Pa., and PNC Bank, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Tampa, Fla. Upon retirement, Mr. Bartlett and his wife, Althea, lived in St. Petersburg at Boca Ciega.
A funeral service will be held at the Peninsula Memorial Gardens conducted by the Rev. David Lassalle on Friday at noon. Sturtevant Funeral Home, Portsmouth Blvd. Chapel, is handling the arrangements for the service. The family requests that donations be sent to The Nature Conservancy, P.O. Box 158, Nassawadox, Va. 23413.
KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY by CNB