Obituary of William Douglas Bell

Bell, William Douglas 8/10/1926 - 5/30/2015 Glen Mills, PA. William (Bill) Douglas Bell, 88, of Swarthmore, passed away on May 30, 2015. William was born in Ridley Park, PA. He attended Swarthmore High School and graduated on D-Day in 1944. He went on to attend Notre Dame University and to graduate from University of Michigan with a B.S. In Civil Engineering in 1948. Bill served in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1945 and in the U.S. Army from 1948-1950. On February 14, 1953, he made the best decision of his life, marrying Kathleen (Kitty) Collins. Following the war, he joined the engineering firm J.E. Brenneman (which later became S. T. Hudson Engineers), where he worked for more than fifty years and served as Vice President before retiring when in he was in his seventies. He received his MBA from Drexel University in 1980 and went on to teach engineering courses there for several years. He was active in many civic and community organizations, including the Swarthmore Business District Authority, the Right Angle Table at the Union League of Philadelphia and as High School Class Reunion Committee Chairman for many years. He was active in the Chamber’s Memorial Presbyterian Church, serving on the Session and devoting countless hours to securing the church’s future. Bill is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Richard Bell and his son Leslie Collins Bell. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Collins, his brother Neil Bell (Sue Anne), his children Patricia Parisano, Pamela Gross (Kenneth), Jeffrey William Bell (Cheryl), Lisa Bell, his grandchildren Jenna Bell (Ray), Jason Bell, Amanda Gross and Nicole Parisano, and one great-grandchild Jeffrey Ray Ignosh. Visitation will be held at Minshall Shropshire-Bleyler Funeral Home, 608 S. Old Middletown Road, Media on Friday June 5, from 5 to 8:30 pm. In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Chambers Memorial Presbyterian Church, 2 Sylvan Ave, Rutledge, PA 19070. A private service will be held for family and close friends on June 6 at 10 am at Chambers Memorial Presbyterian Church. Bill loved performing as Uncle Sam and speaking about the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States. He was passionate about traveling and chronicling his adventures. He enjoyed collecting and studying antique books and reading to young children. But most of all, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, cherishing time with his family.