Obituary of Phyllis E. (Little) Bartol

Phyllis E. (Little) Bartol, 82, of Peabody, died Monday evening at her home with her family by her side following a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Arthur W. Bartol, Jr. Born in Peabody, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Mildred (McKeen) Little. She was a lifelong resident of Peabody and a graduate of Peabody High School, class of 1947. Years later, she attended North Shore Community College in the nursing program and earned her LPN in 1968, and later her RN in 1976. Phyllis worked for over 38 years as a maternity nurse at the Beverly Hospital before retiring many years ago. Following her retirement, Phyllis’s passion was traveling with her husband throughout the country and abroad. They would crisscross the country and stay at various campgrounds along the way while they visited with family and friends. She also traveling to far away places like Hawaii, Greece, Spain, Italy, Aruba, and had taken many cruises on the QE2 through the Panama Canal and the Mississippi River Queen. Phyllis had a second family, the wives of the many musicians her husband Arthur had played with and they were a great part of her life until his death in 2002. She loved playing bingo and taking trips to Foxwoods. She loved being part of all things that included entertainment, especially while a resident at Brooksby Village, she was an active participant in all of the various activities they held, and including many of plays they performed. Her failing health had precluded her to move in with her daughter Judy who watched over her for the past year. She had a great knowledge of Peabody from historical points of view, her classmates and her childhood friends. She had a great sense of humor and took great pleasure in all of her children’s and later her grandchildren and great grandchildren accomplishments and supportiveness. She is survived by her loving children, Judy and her husband Thomas Cagney of Beverly, David Pelletier of Salem, Nancy Dunn of Newmarket, NH, Betty Harrington of Lebanon, NH, Marilyn and her husband Dave Little of Twin Falls, ID, Arthur W. Bartol, III and his wife Elizabeth of Merritt Island, FL, Shirley Ann Marts of Panilla Park, FL, her close family friends, Robert Holden, Earl McKeen, Marcia Chisholm, and Kenney and Dottie McKeen, her close nursing friends with whom she worked with, Fran, Marty, Shirley, and many more close friends. She is also survived by 23 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank the many doctors and nurses at North Shore Medical Center, Fresenius Medical Care Center, Hospice of the North Shore and daughters Marilyn and Nancy. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday at 11:00 AM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody to which relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Burial will be in Waterside Cemetery, Marblehead.