Richard N. Bartus

Richard “Dick” Bartus, dad passed away on September 3rd after a brief illness and went out exactly how he wanted to—stubbornly. If you knew him, you probably already know he would want to say a few words about this obituary. Unfortunately, he’s not here to correct us, add a few details, or make the story considerably longer than necessary. So, for once, we’ll have to tell it ourselves.

He was a guy who went by several names: Richard, Rich, Dick, Dickbob, Dad, The Old Man, Deputy, Slew Foot, Ladd, and his favorite and most proud title, Grump. He was a true family man and, without question, loved spending time with his family more than anything. Nothing made him happier than having all of us sitting around the table, eating, drinking, laughing, and talking over one another. And, of course, if Dad was there, there was a very good chance he was doing most of the talking.

Second only to being with family, hanging with the “Cocktail Club” or being anywhere he could be the center of attention, telling stories, was exactly where Dad wanted to be. During these gatherings, if Dad gave you one of his nicknames, you knew you had officially made it—you were now part of “the clique”.

Dad was a truck driver by trade, but the job he loved most was being a cop in the town of Petersham. He served on the force for more than 27 years, several of them as Deputy Chief. During his time on the force, he saw a lot of things, and every single one of them seemed to come with a story. If you ever wanted to hear those stories, all you had to do was ask—provided, of course, that you had a spare three hours.

Dad was a founding member of the Petersham Lions Club and served enthusiastically for 50 years. He was also a lifetime member of the Petersham Gun Club, where he served as President for several terms. He would bring us to the club with him on Sundays, where we had all kinds of adventures and, over the years, collected a few stories of our own.

Dad loved his three daughters with all his heart, but everyone knew that his three grandsons—Kyle, Tyler, and Joshua—were the pride of his life. Kyle gave Dad the nickname “Grump” when he was a toddler. Dad wore the name with pride. It not only stuck, but suited him so perfectly that most people eventually just defaulted to calling him Grump for the rest of his days.

Dad loved spending time with his grandsons—hunting, fishing, coaching their Little League team, talking their ears off, and, of course, bragging about them whenever he had the opportunity. And he never seemed to run out of opportunities.

In recent years, nothing made Dad smile quite like seeing his great-grandchildren. Colton, Cooper, Walker, and Lennon brought an entirely different kind of joy to his life, and watching him with them was something we will always treasure.

He leaves behind his three daughters, Anne-Marie Bartus (Michael Peterson), Margaret Cooley, and Jennifer Bartus (Tony Glazier); three grandsons, Kyle Cooley, Tyler Cooley (Brittney Field), and Joshua Cooley (Kim Pagnoni); and four great-grandchildren, Colton, Cooper, Walker, and Lennon Cooley.

He also leaves behind his closest friends, Robert and Monika Perkins and Dickie Cooley, along with the rest of the Cocktail Club gang; the Breakfast Boys—Robert, Denis, Dana, and Dickie; sisters-in-law Carolyn Coughlin, Judy Thayer, brother-in-law John Thayer; as well as a community of friends and family who now might finally be able to get a word in edgewise.

Dad was predeceased by his beloved wife of 62 years, Michaele Bartus; his parents, Peter and Anna Bartus; his stepmother, Elaine Bartus; his sister, Patricia Wetherby; his in-laws, Bob and Louise Thayer; brother-in-law Bob Thayer; and sister-in-law Patricia Kellogg.

Though Dad may no longer be here to tell those stories himself, we will carry them forward—with plenty of laughter, a few eye rolls, and probably a little exaggeration of our own.

Dad will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten. If you have a minute, please raise a glass and remember the good times. Tell a story about Dad. Laugh about something he did. And if the story seems a little too unbelievable, well… that’s probably exactly how Dad would have told it.

Rest easy, Dad. The last word is finally yours. Not above you, not beneath you, but with you.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Petersham Police Association c/o Petersham Police P.O. Box 486 Petersham, MA 01366.

Please join us for a celebration of life to share stories and a cocktail on Sunday, October 4, 2026 from 11:00am-3:00pm at the Athol Legion 325 Pequoig Ave, Athol, MA.

"CHEERS!"