Frances Matko Bartlett died on Feb. 15, 2017, in Sleepy Hollow, New York. She was 78 years young, a devoted wife and loving mother.

Fran was born in New York City to Frank Matko and Marie Voyska. After graduating from Manhattanville College, she began her professional life in the big city at investment firm Davis, Palmer, and Biggs. Soon after, her sister Valerie Wallace introduced her to the love of her life, F. Parker Bartlett (known to most everyone as Tad) and they were married on Aug. 16, 1969. Tad then introduced her to the second love of her life, Boothbay Harbor. They honeymooned at his family home at Deep Cove, on Southport Island. Shortly after, they had daughter Jennifer and son Philip. Over the next decade, the family spent the month of August there nearly every year experiencing sunsets, foggy days and wonderful days at the beach. Over the years, they decided that they wanted to retire in Boothbay.

In 1983, after time in Chappaqua, New York, Fran, Tad and kids moved to Calgary, Canada where they experienced the wonders of Western Canada. They moved to Brunswick in 1986 and then onto Boothbay Harbor to fulfill their retirement dreams. Fran worked at the House of Logan in Boothbay Harbor where she assisted with the behind-the-scenes work of helping keep Midcoast Maine fashionable. After Tad’s death in 2013, she became more involved with Lincoln Arts and Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church.

She will be remembered for her amazing Christmas cookies as well as her kindness and compassion. She is greatly missed, but is with Tad again, where she found the greatest joy in her life.

She was predeceased by her husband Tad and is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Bartlett and her wife Kathleen Kirkman and grandson Jamison of Tampa, Florida; her son, Philip Bartlett and his partner Nicole Brallier of Denver, Colorado; her sister and brother-in-law, Valerie and Paul Wallace of Sleepy Hollow, New York; her niece, Fiona Collins and her husband Steve; and her nephew, Andrew Wallace.

A memorial service will be held at Our Lady Queen of Peace in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Southport Memorial Library.