John Marion Bartos

John Marion Bartos, a longtime resident of the Bitterroot Valley, passed away on June 2, 2025 at his home.

John’s parents, Marion and Helen Bartos, were World War II–Polish immigrants who arrived in Helena, Montana in May 1951. John was born later that year, on Thanksgiving Day, at St. John’s Hospital in Helena, Montana. His mother worked in the hospital laundry and his father in the maintenance department. Fittingly, John spent his entire life in and around hospitals. His parents built a home next to the hospital, and before he was old enough for school, he was often seen patrolling the hospital halls with a cap gun and sheriff’s badge in search of “bad guys.”

One afternoon, his father became alarmed when he saw all the neighborhood kids up in a large tree on hospital grounds and called the fire department. Unbeknownst to him, his own son was at the top of the tree. Firefighters safely helped the children down—John included.

John attended Catholic schools in Helena until they closed. He started school not speaking English. He graduated from Helena High School in 1970, where he was a standout athlete. His football coach called him “Otis Elevator,” because he could lift two linemen at once. He helped lead his team to the state championship game in his junior year. John was recruited by several major colleges as a punter, but an injury during his senior year ended those prospects. While recovering in the hospital, he asked an orderly what his job entailed, and soon after, John took a job working at St. John’s Hospital.

John attended Carroll College while working as an emergency room technician at St. Peter’s Hospital. During his junior year, he met his future wife, Kathy. They married in January 1975 and were together for more than 50 years. After graduating, John began his management career at the age of 23 as a hospital administrator in White Sulphur Springs, Montana where he served for five years. He then moved to Columbus, Montana, where he led the local hospital for eight years. While in Columbus, he earned a Master of Science in Administration from the University of Notre Dame and was a proud member of the Irish alumni. Fall Saturday afternoons were reserved for cheering (and swearing) at the Irish football team.

In December 1987, John became CEO of Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in Hamilton — a position he held for over 30 years until his retirement in May 2018. Under his leadership, Marcus Daly transformed from a small rural facility into a nationally recognized regional medical center. When he started in 1987, the hospital had just eight physicians and 80 employees. By the time of his retirement, it had grown to more than 50 physicians and over 500 staff. Major developments during his tenure included a new Emergency Room, Intensive Care Unit, Rehabilitation Center, Birthing Center, Home Health and Hospice program, three rural care centers, and ambulance services. John often said it takes a team—and he was proud to be surrounded by great people.

He was actively involved with the Montana Hospital Association for over 40 years and served in many roles, including as past president. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored by the association, and his photo is displayed on the Montana Hospital Association’s “Wall of Fame.” He also served as a delegate for small and rural hospitals in Section 8 of the American Hospital Association, as well as on the Montana Facility Finance Authority Board and the Montana Rate Review System.

Throughout his career, John was appointed by five different Montana governors to serve on various healthcare-related boards. He was a strong advocate for rural healthcare, lobbying both the state legislature and Congress. One of his most significant achievements was his role in the development of the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) program. John was part of a study committee that included Bob Olsen, Kip Smith, John Flink, Keith McCarty, and Dick Brown that developed the Medical Assistance Facility (MAF) demonstration program.  The results of that program led to the formation of the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) program with assistance from then US Senator Max Baucus. This is a nationwide Medicare reimbursement methodology still used today. In the later years of his professional career, he also played a key role in Montana’s adoption of Medicaid expansion.

Beyond healthcare, John also served on the board of Citizens State Bank and, following its merger, on the board of First Security Bank—service he took great pride in as a way to give back to the community he loved.

He loved both hunting and fishing, especially when spending time with his sons, and he cherished waterfowl hunting trips to Canada with his buddies. Since 1993, he also enjoyed being a gentleman rancher, managing a very small cattle herd with pride and care. After retirement, he continued supporting small hospitals and found great satisfaction in his work as a healthcare consultant. His favorite retirement activity, however, was doting on his five grandchildren and his nephew.

John is survived by his wife, Kathleen; his son John Bartos Jr. and wife Colleen of Radford, Virginia, with their children Alix, Benjamin, and Cooper; his son Paul Bartos and wife Carrie of Roy, Montana, with their children Gracie and Grey. He is also survived by his sister Annie Goodwin and her husband Ted of Helena; his favorite nephew John Paul Goodwin; and his brother Richard Bartos of Helena, Montana.

We have all lost our very own force of nature.

He was preceded in death by his infant son, Nicholas Bartos; his parents, Marion and Helen Bartos; his infant brother, Edward; his in-laws, Paul and Patricia Matovich; and his brother-in-law, Thomas Matovich.

The family would like to thank Dr. Tony Lakatua, Dr. Meg Eddy, Dr. Katherine Markette, Dr. Robert Smith, and everyone at the Fresenius Kidney Care in Missoula for giving us eleven bonus years with our John.

John always said that every hospital CEO fhas a favorite project. John’s was the pediatric rehab at Bitterroot Health. In accordance with John’s wishes, and in lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be directed to the Pediatric Rehabilitation Department at Bitterroot Health, via the Bitterroot Health Foundation. Their information can be found at www.bitterroothealth.org/giving/bitterroot-health-foundation.

Family and friends are invited to a vigil service on Tuesday, June 10th at 5:30 p.m. at Daly-Leach Chapel. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, June 11th at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception in the Daly-Leach community room. A private family burial will take place thereafter. Both services will be livestreamed at www.dalyleachchapel.com.  Log on to the website and push the live stream button on the top righthand side in order to watch the services.