Shirley Asa "Ace" Bartow

Shirley Asa Ace Bartow

Shirley Asa Ace Bartow went home to be with the Lord on December 19, 2016 in Redding, California. He was 95 years young. He was born on September 12, 1921 to Mabel and Asa Bartow in Fieldbrook, California. He was orphaned at a young age and in his junior high years moved to Fortuna, California to live at the home of the Ross and Edna Campbell where he met his lifelong friend and brother Jim Meade. He attended Fortuna High School, graduating in 1940. He was a successful athlete, participating in basketball and track while at Fortuna. He had the 440 yard record for several years and still held it when his daughter, Barbara attended there in 1957. In 1941 he married Olivia Deniz of Ferndale and they were married 49 years until her death in 1990. He joined the Navy following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. At the time he was working in a shipyard at Mare Island, in Vallejo. He participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima where the ship he was on was damaged. He remained in the Navy until the end of World War II and then moved with Olivia and Barbara back to his beloved Fortuna and purchased the Texaco station there. He and Olivia also started the TBA supply company in Eureka on Broadway. In the early 60s they bought Kreigs Jewelry on Main street in Fortuna and subsequently renamed it Bartows Jewelry and it remains there today. In 1992 he married Lucille Mason and they were married 20 years until her death in 2012.
While in Fortuna, Ace was very involved in the community as part of the 20/30 Club, Kiwanis, VFW and Rotary. He was also a member of the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department, was one of the founding members of the Redwood Empire Golf and Country Club, and one of the founding members of the Fortuna High School Athletic Boosters Club. He is a former Fortuna Little League President and coached baseball for years in Fortuna Little League, Babe Ruth League and Joe Dimaggio League. Bartow Field in Rohner Park is named after him. He also coached elementary basketball at the Fortuna Town School for several years with his pal, Bruno Cappi. In 2013 the City of Fortuna honored him as the Grand Marshal of the Fortuna Rodeo. Other than his two wives, his loves were to golf, to ride his motorcycle, to spend time at his wonderful cabin in Mad River and his children and grandchildren.
He is survived by daughter Barbara Bartow Nicolson (Robert) of Sedona, AZ, son James Asa Bartow (Delia) of Redding, grandchildren Brendan Eisan of Valley Village, Lisa Pilato (Blaine) of Missoula, Darin Bartow and Ty Bartow of Windsor, Luke Bartow (Deidra) of Lathrop, Daniel Bartow and Sarah Bartow of Redding. He also leaves four great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mabel and Asa Bartow, his sisters Ora Hord, Emma Mace and Ruby Crockett, his wife Olivia Bartow (1941-1990), great grandson Michael Brandon Ortola, wife Lucille Bartow (1992-2012) and son Ronald Franklin Bartow.
Viewing will be at Gobles Fortuna Mortuary from 2: to 7:00 pm, Friday, January 6, 2017. Funeral services will be at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Fortuna at 10:00 am, Saturday, January 7, 2017 with graveside service immediately following at Ocean view Cemetery in Eureka.

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