03/23/2026
John Paul Bartley, born June 20, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, passed away in Charleston, Missouri, on Sunday, March 22, 2026. He was the son of Elbridge Wesley Bartley, Jr. and Geraldine Zoe Bartley (nee Hiatt), both of whom preceded him in death.
He is survived by his daughters, Erin Christine Stubblefield (Kory) and Susan Elizabeth Velleca (David) and by his grandchildren Mason, Connor and Audrey. He is also survived by his siblings Linda Jeanne Ault (Glenn); William Edwin “Ed” Bartley (Sharon) and Robert Benton Bartley. He was preceded in death by his brother, Elbridge Wesley “Wes” Bartley III.
John grew up in Missouri and attended Lindbergh Senior High School in St. Louis before continuing his education at Poplar Bluff High School. He later studied at Central Methodist University and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Throughout his life, John built a career marked by curiosity, technical skill and a willingness to embrace new ideas. His two most favorite jobs were with Edison Brothers Stores and then later with Novus International, where he spent about half his working years. He developed the IT portion of the AIMS system, which received a patent. His longtime boss at Novus was Kevin Mowery, who believed in him and made possible his many successes over the years. John and Kevin enjoyed the pizza lunch special together at Fortel’s Pizza Den dozens of times. He considered it the perfect lunch.
John’s best memories with his two daughters were their trips to Disney World and being a “band dad” at Francis Howell North High School. His proudest moment was watching Erin receive her doctoral hood upon her graduation from University of Missouri School of Law.
John said the best investment he ever made was buying a NeXT computer in 1990. It provided him with the experience that, while common today, was groundbreaking back then. He worked for NeXT for a year before it exited the hardware business. The lesson he learned was that most people just don’t have long-term vision and tend to dismiss anything that seems radical.
John earned his private pilot’s license. His interest in flying dated to about 1964, when he was taken for a ride in a Cessna 172. He went on to purchase his own 172 from the Cessna factory in 2005. It has been used to teach many students to fly, which in turn provided him a nice income.
After retirement, John spent ten years living abroad in Ecuador and later Mexico. He loved the culture and lifestyle. His fondest memory was being “adopted” by a family in both countries. He was always grateful for their help. Jose Manuel Mendoza, his next-door neighbor in Queretaro, Mexico, and his family treated him as part of their family. He always remembered their kindness and concern for his well-being.
John said that his college friends of over 55 years - David Dauster, Jim Welch, Paul Vivian and Stanley Treadway - were so helpful in his closing years. They were always ready for a Friday lunch at Clancey’s Irish Pub.
John also mentioned Bob Sorrells, his neighbor and best friend in the Lindbergh High School days, with whom he had many memorable adventures.
Services: Celebration of Life at the FAMILY CENTER at SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Rd., Ballwin, Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Friends may sign the family’s on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.
