BANGOR – George Bartlett, known locally for his longtime service at the Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building on Harlow Street, died Wednesday at his Bangor home.

Bartlett had been battling esophageal cancer for the last few months. He was 65.

Known for his friendly demeanor and optimistic nature, Bartlett had faced physical and mental handicaps for most of his adult life after a near-fatal bout with encephalitis, a viral inflammation of the brain, at 31. Grasping a three-pronged cane in later years, Bartlett faithfully pursued a daily routine that included logging room temperatures inside the three-story building and tending planters outside.

His passing was noted by Chief Judge D. Brock Hornby of the U.S. District Court in Maine. “He was a real presence in the courthouse,” Hornby said from his office in Portland. “He always had a smile on his face or a kind greeting.”

Hornby, who once served as a U.S. District Court judge in Bangor, recalled when he would come to the federal building “pretty early, and George would be there to stop and say hello. He was a kind, genuinely good person,” Hornby said.

A Madison native, Bartlett overcame many handicaps to forge a satisfying life that included 31 years of working as a “building aide” under the General Services Administration. Bartlett “personified what the GSA is all about,” said Aline Poulin, a supervisor who works in Augusta.

At a retirement party given in his honor three years ago, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge James Haines Jr. described Bartlett as a “friend to all who meet him” and said Bartlett enjoyed his job so much he wouldn’t think of taking a sick day.

News of Bartlett’s death saddened the office staff at the Bangor federal building who had worked with him. Survivors include his wife, Anna (Bryant) Bartlett.

After his Dec. 1, 1999, retirement party, attended by nearly 100 people from Maine to Boston, a plaque was hung in the back elevator at the federal building in his honor. It remains there and states: “In recognition of and appreciation for 31 years of dedicated service to the people and facilities of the Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building, George Bartlett, General Services Administration Building Aide, retired Dec. 31, 1999.”

A funeral service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, at Brookings-Smith funeral home, 133 Center St., Bangor.