Wayne Bartlett is a fully trained and experienced Patient & Family Volunteer with Hospice of the Northwest. He is part of the team of fellow Veterans who organize and perform We Honor Veterans Pinning Ceremonies, recognizing the service and sacrifice hospice patients have made for our country.
Nearly sixty years ago, Wayne and his cousin boarded a train to Chicago to enlist in the Navy (1962). This was the same year as the Cuban Missile Crisis, and after completing boot camp in August of that year, was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia at an old IBM station. Wayne served in the Navy throughout the Vietnam War.
Sean Bartlett has been serving on the Hospice of the Northwest Foundation Board of Trustees since 2015, serving as President in 2019. As a dedicated Trustee, Sean is also the masterful logistics coordinator of the annual Ports of Call fundraiser. In 1995 Sean graduated from the United States Naval Academy, becoming a Naval Flight Officer. During his 20 years of service, Sean was a personal aide to the Secretary of the Navy at the Pentagon. The Hospice of the Northwest Foundation has been fortunate to utilize his leadership and skill set.
Sean and his wife Diana have been enthusiastic hospice supporters since Diana was a nurse at Hospice of the Northwest. After Wayne and his wife Judy moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Anacortes in 2017, Sean and Diana knew that Hospice of the Northwest was the perfect fit for Wayne to give back to the community in a meaningful way, given his prior experience supporting grieving and struggling Veterans. Wayne has previous experience with grief support and encountered the We Honor Veterans Program. He found he was particularly helpful with families of military veterans, finding special ways to honor both their service and relate to grieving families.
In recognition of his work with Veterans and their loved ones, Wayne earned The National Defense Distinguished Citizens Award from The Daughters of the American Revolution. Wayne was honored for leading the Casualty Assistance group while in the Navy when the USS Forrestal caught fire. Under his direction, 131 families were notified of the loss or injury of their loved ones in 1967.
Hospice of the Northwest is committed to honoring Veterans and their loved ones for their service and sacrifice as they near the end of life. Distinguished and exceptional volunteers like Wayne and Sean Bartlett ensure high-quality, compassionate, and dignified hospice care is available to every Veteran in our community.