WESTON, Vt. – On the morning of April 2, Donald J. Bartsch passed away in his sleep. Don was born Jan. 7, 1940, in the Bronx, N.Y., and grew up in Pelham, Westchester County, N.Y. After graduating from high school, Don went to work on the New York Stock Exchange, where he became a full member in 1965. Donald was an accomplished trader, and became a partner of his own firm, Fernandez, Bartsch, & Mirra.
Community was always an important part of Don’s life. He lived in Pleasantville, N.Y., from the 1970s until the early 1990s, where he was one of the driving forces in bringing the American Youth Soccer Organization to southern New York State.
Don retired to Weston, Vt., in the 1990s, where he was on the Weston Planning Commission and chaired the Weston Planning Board for many years. He also served on the Windham Regional Planning Commission, and volunteered on the National Ski Patrol at Magic Mountain.
Don will always be remembered as a strong but fair leader. He was a fierce and loyal friend, who challenged himself to become a better person throughout his life. Don is survived by his wife Martha H. Bartsch; his four sons Greg, Michael, Jeffrey, his wife Laura and sons Spenser and Griffin, and Brian, his wife Kate and their children Max and Anna. Although preceded in death by his brother Robert, Don is survived by his brother Thomas Bartsch, his sister Marylou D’Onofrio, and all of their extended family.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to either Rutland Regional Medical Center, or Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. To send the family personal condolences, please visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.