CASCO — Kathleen Fagan Bartley, 78, of Casco, passed on Good Friday, March 29, 2024, with her family by her side.

She was born February 26, 1946, in Elkhorn, Wis., the first child of Dorothy Ann and R. William Fagan. At a young age her family moved to Holly, Mich., and she graduated from Holly High School in 1964. She attended and graduated with honors from Michigan State University with a bachelor's and master's degree in Education

She started her teaching career as a student teacher in Greenwich,
Conn., and accepted her first teaching job at Framingham, Mass., Middle School. She met her husband to be, Michael Bartley on Labor Day weekend in 1969 at Clausen’s Golf Ranch in Falmouth, Mass., and they married five months later. After memo- rable times overseas in Japan, they moved to Casco, with their philosophy that “life is not a spectator sport, you have to get involved” and passed this to their children, Brendan and Ryan.

She taught at Casco Junior High and Lake Region Middle School and retired after 35 years in S.A.D. 61. She coached basketball, soccer, and ski racing, and helped sewing costumes for many school plays. Among many of those kids, she was known as “Aunt B,” “Ma B,” “Coach,” “Coach Bartley,” and likely other fond names. She loved her games, especially March Madness, and gave kids prizes for finding a new bumper sticker on her file cabinet or guessing the best bracket or correct score in a Super Bowl. Any students knew where they could find her to discuss the latest sports game or event. She loved Pleasant Mountain and the Maine Ski Racing community.

She was a devout Roman Catholic and taught religion classes to middle schoolers at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Windham and served as an alter server at St. Joseph in Bridgton. Everyone she met, young or old, held her in high esteem and she was as kind, caring and compassionate as anyone on this planet. Her love to laugh was another of one of her endearing qualities. In her retired years, she could be found playing bridge, participating with the Needle Charmers, Chickadee Quilters, and DKG groups, planning her next adventure, or out golfing, skiing, lunching, or creating mischief and adventure with her friends. She was a voracious reader and always had a knitting or quilting project in progress to stay busy, while enjoying the latest Hallmark Channel movie. She loved playing games with her children and grandchildren and cheering them on or supporting them in all their endeavors.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 53 years, Michael; her beloved children, Brendan and Ryan; her treasured grandchildren, Will, Sam, Addie, Zander, and Bode, who all have a quilt made by her; her brother, Tom, who always proclaimed her the best athlete in Holly growing up, and his wife Katie; and sister-in-law Vicki; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends across the country.

A public memorial mass will be celebrated in her honor Friday, April 12, 2024, 11 a.m., at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bridgton, Maine, followed by a Celebration of Life Social at the Old Saco Inn in Fryeburg from 12:30-3:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to donate to Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516 or to a charity of your choice in honor of Kathy’s generous spirit.

Arrangements are in the care of the Hall Funeral Home in Casco; www.hallfuneralhome.net.