The Xenia and Fairborn communities are grieving this week following the death of Tami Bartley, a former Xenia Community Schools Board Member and longtime first-grade teacher and literacy coach at Fairborn Primary School.
Jennifer Marietta, who is running for a seat on the Xenia Schools board and served alongside Bartley in the past, shared a heartfelt tribute on social media.
She recalled seeing Bartley just two weeks ago while the two worked on a craft project together at a Greene County Parks and Trails event. Marietta said Bartley told her she felt happiest and most like herself while teaching her students, describing it as exactly where she was meant to be.
Marietta also remembered serving on the Xenia school board with Bartley, along with Pam Callahan and Cheryl Marcus, a group she said stayed focused on giving Xenia students and families the best possible opportunities.
She pointed to their work advocating for and approving the new Warner Middle School, which broke ground in 2022, as one example of Bartley’s lasting commitment to public education.
Beyond the classroom, friends and colleagues described Bartley as a devoted mother figure to many of Xenia’s young athletes, treating every child she encountered with the same love and care she gave her own family.
Community Rallies Around Fairborn Primary
Fairborn City Schools confirmed Bartley’s passing in a message sent to families through FinalForms, calling her a cherished teacher whose commitment to her students left a lasting impact on the school community. Principal Jill Bennett and Superintendent Amy Gayheart said Bartley touched the lives of countless children, colleagues, and families throughout her career.
The district announced that support would be available for students, staff and families in the Fairborn Primary School cafeteria this week, with sessions held Thursday afternoon and Friday morning for anyone who wanted to talk, reflect or simply be with others during the difficult time. Funeral arrangements were expected to be shared once finalized.
Former students and coworkers flooded social media with memories of Bartley’s warmth and humor. One woman recalled her as her own son’s first teacher in Fairborn, saying parent-teacher conferences with Bartley always felt more like conversations between friends.
Another former student turned colleague described the honor of working alongside the teacher who once taught her in first grade, crediting Bartley’s wisdom and kindness as a major influence on her own career in education.
Bartley is survived by her husband, known in the community as Coach Bartley, along with her sons and extended family. Family members and friends described her as fiercely loyal, deeply generous, and someone who treated everyone she loved like her own. She is being remembered across both communities as a devoted teacher, mother and friend whose absence leaves a profound void.
