William Preston Bartlett passed away on January 25, 2023, at the age of 87. Bill was born on September 1, 1935, in Camden. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. A week after graduation, he married Betty Frances Smith, a Meredith College graduate, and together they set out for Virginia, where he went to work for the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, involved in design and development of the first nuclear submarine. Their oldest two children, Deborah and Tony, were born during these early years. Bill left the shipyard in 1963 to enter public service as the Director of Public Works and City Engineer in Elizabeth City, Robert, the youngest of the children, was born during their time in Elizabeth City. In 1971, Bill led the family to Wilson, where he served as Director of Public Works and City Engineer, retiring in 1992. In 1997, he co-founded Bartlett Engineering and Surveying with his two sons, Tony and Robert.

 

He was a member of Forest Hills Baptist Church. He had expressed recently that he had tried to live his life in an honest way and point people to God. His whole life, Bill spent as much time as he could on the water, fulfilling his lifelong dream when he and Betty bought a home on the White Oak River in 1992. He loved his wife and spent the last year since her death longing to be reunited with her. He was proud of his children and delighted in his grandchildren and great grandchildren.