Mary Elizabeth “Beth” Nugent Bartholomew, 83, of Sheffield, passed away surrounded by her family on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. She was in Great Barrington on April 16, 1941 to Mary Williams and Thomas Nugent. She grew up in Great Barrington and attended local schools, the Pittsfield Community Music School, and Oberlin College.
Beth married Dana A. Bartholomew of Sheffield on October 26, 1963, and together they raised two children, Dana A. Bartholomew Jr. and Laura W. Bartholomew. She had a sister, Nora Nugent Jaeschke, who predeceased her in 2009 and her dearly beloved Aunt Laura W. Williams, who died in 1985.
She loved her family and did all she could for them. Meanwhile, she gave private piano lessons to many, played organ at Our Lady of the Valley Church for 34 years, and directing the choir. She was a highly sought-after organist at many churches throughout South County. She was an active member in the church and the community.
For 42 years, Dana and Beth made their home in the family homestead on Undermountain Road where eight generations of Bartholomews have lived. They owned and operated the family business, The Sheffield Water Company, founded in 1895 by Tryphena Bartholomew, among others. It was a privately owned public utility that provided water and fire safety for the town for over a century.
At the time of Dana’s death in 2005, Beth took over the daily operations, with the support of the shareholders, operator, and superintendent. She continued Dana’s work and, with the help of State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, secured a $2.3 million loan and amended a state bylaw to build a 255,000-gallon water-storage tower. In 2015, she sold The Sheffield Water Company to another private entity.
In collaboration with the state of Massachusetts, The Nature Conservancy, and Berkshire Natural Resources, Beth, Dana, and family have preserved and protected nearly 1,000 acres of land in Sheffield.
Beth graciously welcomed everyone into her kind heart—and her warm kitchen. Anyone who knew her knew she was a beautiful and talented pianist. She loved to read and to do puzzles; she loved all animals, especially her family of bears, her birds, and her golden retrievers. She was always impeccably dressed, was an excellent cook and an avid gardener, and loved her maple trees and maple syrup, and she was a talented seamstress in her Teddy Bear Workshop.
Beth is survived by her two children, son Dana and his wife Sophia and daughter Laura and her husband Anthony Guzzi; her five grandchildren, Alexandra and her husband Ries McQuillan, Samantha and her husband Matthew MacLeod, Elena Bartholomew, Paulina Bartholomew, and Dana Guzzi-Bartholomew; two great-grandchildren, Alice and Bartholomew McQuillan; and several great-nieces and -nephews. Beth is also survived by her sister-in-law Pamela and her husband Richard Armstrong of Greenwich, Conn.; her nephews, Matthew and Suzy Armstrong of Greenwich, Conn. and Roderick Armstrong of Jupiter, Fla.; and her nieces in California, Eleanor Garnet, Christina Jaeschke, and Elizabeth Jaeschke de Buenrostro.
In lieu of a wake, friends and family are invited to a celebration of life for Beth on Sunday, May 19, from 2 to 5 p.m., at Crissey Farm, 426 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA, 01230. Visiting hours will be on Monday, May 20, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., at Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, May 20, 2024, at 10 a.m., at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 213 Main St, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Burial will be private at the Bartholomew family homestead.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Beth’s memory to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in care of Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. To send remembrances to her family, please visit the funeral home’s website.
