Thomas Alan Bartholomew

Thomas Alan “Bart” Bartholomew served his community as a patrolman with the Kissimmee Police Department and was known by friends and colleagues for his easy grin, practical jokes and strong sense of duty. Colleagues remembered him as career-minded with hopes of advancing in the department; people who knew him describe a man who loved sports — especially baseball — and who carried himself with a combination of humor and seriousness that made him both a friend and a steady presence on the street.

Bart joined the Kissimmee Police Department in the late 1970s and served approximately four years. He was a young husband and father: public remembrances note he left behind a wife and two daughters, and his family has worked to keep his memory alive in the years since his death. One of his daughters, who was a toddler when he died, has spoken publicly about the pride she feels for her father and the way the community has honored his service.

The City of Kissimmee and the department have continued to remember Patrolman Bartholomew: his name appears on memorials and in annual remembrances for fallen employees and officers, and there is a plaque inside the Kissimmee Police Department honoring his service. Fellow officers and local writers have preserved memories of Bart as a person first — someone who joked with coworkers, listened when friends needed an ear, and took seriously the responsibility of protecting others.

Though the public record understandably records the circumstances of his death, what endures in the community’s memory is the human side of Thomas A. Bartholomew: a young man who chose to serve, who loved his family, and whose life and sacrifice are commemorated by those who knew him and later generations in Kissimmee. His legacy remains in memorials, in stories told by colleagues, and in the family members who continue to honor him.