John Albert Bartholomew was born in Hardtner, KS on November 2, 1947, the son of Albert and Lois Bartholomew of Medicine Lodge, KS. He had one sister, Sherry Bartholomew Shriner. They preceded him in death.

John lived in Medicine Lodge until graduating from MLHS in 1965. He attended Fort Hays State College. He married Evelyn Hartzell of Medicine Lodge in 1967.  Moving to Mulvane, KS, John worked as a manager at the Coleman Company in Wichita for a time. John served in the US Army serving as an Air Traffic Controller in Vietnam. Following his Army service he attended Wichita State University receiving a Bachelors degree in IT. John and Evelyn were divorced in 1984.

John always had a love for flying and earned his private pilots license as well as certified flight instructor. He flew for numerous businesses and gave instruction in Wichita and was employed at Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant as Computer Specialist, leaving to establish his own IT business. He received The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in August, 2019 and was a life member of the Commemorative Air Force and EAA.

John also had a love for skydiving and met Erica Lips while she took sky-diving lessons. They were married in November, 1991. Erica passed away in 2011.

In 2014, John met Linda Stach from Lindsborg, KS. They were married in 2015. She survives. John is also survived by his son, John Albert Jr and wife Diane of Olathe, KS, daughter Janine Narula and husband Vash of Carrollton, TX  and daughter Brianna Christine Jenkins of Plano, TX. Grandchildren are Kami Bartholomew, Wichita; Vishay Narula and Jyothi Narula of Carrollton, TX and Wesley Jenkins, Plano,TX.

John was a member of the George R Reeves Masonic Lodge in Pottsboro, Tx, and formerly the Scottish Rite Masons in Wichita, KS

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the George R Reeves Masonic Lodge scholarship program.

Memorial time and location will be announced later.