Fenelon Falls business owner, community member, builder and imaginative thinker
KAWARTHA LAKES-Fred Bartlett was born in Bracebridge, Ontario and was one of 10 siblings. At a very young age, Fred discovered his first passion, which was cars. It would stick with him for the rest of his life and developed into a career goal in his early teenage years. When Fred was 17, he began his autobody apprenticeship with Bruce Autobody, which led him to get his license at 20. He spent 10 years with the company. This journey took him onto other opportunities like repairing vehicles for the OPP and the Toronto Star. His connection to Bruce Auto Body continued as he worked for them in the evenings after his work for the OPP. He also worked in his home shop when he had time off. Fred was a very dedicated and hard worker, and always in the automotive trades.
Fred met his wife Shirley through a mutual friend’s band called Blazera. Fred and Shirley were stage hands for the band and travelled with them around the province. When Fred and Shirley met, Shirley was dating the lead singer. When that didn’t work out, Fred took his chance to get to know Shirley better and the rest is history. Fred and Shirley moved from downtown Toronto to Kawartha Lakes in 1974, with their two young children. They fell in love with the community and raised their family here. Little did they know, that their family would grow and share Fred’s interest in cars.
By 2010, Fred had become bored with his job doing auto body work. True to his character, he became eager for a change and a new project. This mindset resonated with his son Jon who was also looking for a change from his work at Staples Auto Service. Fred’s background in auto body work and Jon’s knowledge of auto mechanics made a great match for establishing a new family business. So, on the May long weekend of 2010, Doc’s Automotive was born! Fred approached the owner of a building in Fenelon Falls, previously Fenelon Transmission, on Murray Street that had been sitting empty for a few years. Fred asked the owner if he would rent the space to him even though it wasn’t up for lease. The building owner initially said no to renting the space, but then two weeks later, Fred was given the chance to rent the space. If you knew Fred, you might guess that his charismatic conversation style and kind demeanor were what secured him the space.
The name Doc’s didn’t come from the idea that they were car doctors, but actually from Fred’s interest in making his business sound “new aged” and technical. Doc’s stands for Diagnostics of Computer and Service. Fred owned the business from 2010 until 2017 when he sold it to his business partner and son Jon and his wife Kristina. The original timeline for this plan was 2 years delayed as Fred couldn’t bring himself to retire. He loved the business and the environment so much that it was hard for him to let it go.
When asked why Doc’s Automotive has stayed in business as long as it has, Shirley replied “It was just Fred.” It was his energy and his community focus, his efforts to connect and share his beliefs with people each day, his attention to detail in remembering the stories and situations of those who frequented his shop and his efforts to lend a helping hand whenever possible. Fred would donate all of the shop scrap money to Youth Unlimited. That is the Doc’s Automotive way and will always be. It is a family centred, community focused establishment.
After he retired, he used the connections he had made through Doc’s to start Fenelon Falls Cruise Nights. People would bring their classic cars to the Signature parking lot and there would be raffles and music and community building. Many businesses in town supported it through donations and word of mouth. This idea began because Fred retired and still wanted to support Youth Unlimited. So, he and his wife Shirley launched Cruise Nights.
Fred’s greatest passion aside from his business was building. He was a builder at heart and his favorite things to build were classic cars. The first classic that Fred built was a 1926 Model T. This build started with only a rusted frame. Shirley said “Fred could just turn anything from being junk to something beautiful!” He would always have a vision in his head and would do anything possible to bring it to life. Some other builds that Fred enjoyed were a ‘57 Thunderbird, 1929 Model A, a Beetlejuice themed vehicle that was created from 72 Volkswagen bug and Chevy S 10, a ‘57 Ford Fairlane and a ‘67 Galaxy. Fred also built a couch out of a ‘57 Cadillac. He had travelled all the way to Ohio to go through a farmer’s field to find the vehicle.
If you knew Fred well, you knew that he would go through great lengths for a good deal. To make these rebuilding projects, Fred would travel across the border and travel, no matter the schedule, time and time again and in the words of his family: “He would come back with complete pieces of junk, but he could talk his way out of a paperbag for that deal!” Somehow though, no matter how sad looking or how far gone something seemed, it always turned out better than imagined.
Fred enjoyed the process of building far more than the finished product itself. He would always say that his current project was his favourite and then focus on selling it to pay for the next big idea. He loved the act of bringing something a new life, giving it purpose, and helping it look “Top Shelf.” This is how Fred navigated any relationship or encounter in his life. He would go through great lengths to make sure that no matter how low someone was feeling, or how bad the situation was, that you always left feeling “Top Shelf.”
Fred, you could say, had the gift of gab! His favourite part of being a business owner was being able to talk to his customers and share his Christian beliefs with them. Regardless of your views though, Fred would always meet you with a smile and made it his mission to make sure you left with a smile and were feeling better. He would do anything for you and “be there like a dirty old shirt.”
Fred was a believer and follower of Jesus. He chose this journey after a hard road through childhood and some personal struggles in his youth that he was not proud of. The gospel gave Fred purpose, gave him hope and allowed him to connect with others and bring them the Good News that resonated with him. He found church communities that helped him to feel like he belonged and gave him an outlet to use his creative skills and voice. Many would say that the way Fred shared his beliefs had a preacher’s tone—one of passion, care and hope that after your chat with him you could say you were feeling “Top Shelf.”
That was often Fred’s response to how he was feeling in the final few years of his earthly life. Through the busy or slow shop days, stressful tire seasons, Covid business struggles or his intense cancer treatments, he would always tell you he was feeling “Top Shelf.”
Shirley remembered that he created the phrase “Top Shelf” because it was easier than explaining to people how he was actually feeling. He wasn’t one to talk about his feelings, even with his wife and family, and especially when it came to his health. When Fred received his cancer diagnosis, his life changed, but he acted in a way that nobody would know. Those who did know what he was going through, didn’t even know the half of it. Through treatments, appointments and radiation, he was “Top Shelf.” He was still helping out the community, showing up for his family, working on dream builds and asking his doctors if he could do his annual winter in Florida. Fred and Shirley’s winters in Florida were some of their fondest memories. They made many friends that they both carried into their everyday life and looked forward to each year that they would spend the cooler Canadian months in the warm Florida sunshine.
Fred’s battle sadly came to an end on July 29, 2023 surrounded by the love of his family. Fred’s purpose in life was to enjoy life to the fullest as long as you can and always hold dear the importance of family. Fred loved his family with his whole heart. From showing up to games, shows and graduations to building decks and full dance studios, Fred was there when you needed him even when he wasn’t actually feeling “Top Shelf.”
If you can take one thing from Fred’s story, take away the importance of family time. Cherish the time you spend with your family, given or chosen, and hold those memories close to your heart.
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Alexis Wilson.
If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to: curator@maryboro.ca or mail a cheque to :
Maryboro Lodge Museum
Box 179
50 Oak Street
Fenelon Falls, ON
K0M 1N0
