William Ard Bell
July 22, 1931 ~ July 7, 2010
It is with a mixture of great sorrow and joy that the family of William (Bill) announces his peaceful passing at Lion’s Gate Hospital in North Vancouver following a courageous and hard-fought battle with cancer – sorrow for the enormity of our loss and joy for the confidence he has gone to be with his Lord and Saviour.
Bill was born on the family farm near Welwyn, Sask., where he worked while attending school at St. Marthe and Ferndale, Sask. He married Edith in Moosomin, Sask., on Aug. 9, 1952. They moved to Salmo, B.C., where they lived for 51 years. Bill was employed in the mining industry, working at the H.B, Emerald, Remax and Silver Dollar mines in the Salmo area, as well as mines at Riondel, Kimberley, the Elk Valley, Benson Lake, B.C., and Pine Point, N.W.T. At the closing of the last mines in Salmo he worked at Cominco operations in Warfield until his retirement.
Bill will be cherished for his boundless generosity, never-ending selflessness, devotion to family and willingness to help anyone in need – out of the spotlight and without drawing attention to himself. Possessed of a tireless work ethic, he was a skilled handyman who loved gardening and enjoyed the pastimes of curling, golfing, cross-country skiing, huckleberry picking, playing cards and spending time with his family, to whom he was a quiet rock, pillar of faith and genuine inspiration. His commitment to the community included volunteer work with the fire department and credit union in Salmo, but nowhere were his passion and convictions more evident than in his faithful service as a founding member of Salmo Baptist Church in the 1980s and ’90s. In 2003, Bill and Edith moved to Creston, where he continued to enjoy his family, yard and garden, and attended Wynndel Community Church.
He was predeceased by his parents, Harry and Lydia Bell, and brothers Jim and Gordon.
He will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by wife Edith Bell (Creston), daughters Darlene (Rocky) Young of Kailua, Hawaii, and Dawn (John) McConnell of West Vancouver, son Brian (Creston), grandchildren Shannon, Lauren, Michael, Matthew, Mitchell, Marcus and Amelia, siblings Edith (John) Halls, Iris (George) Moody, Don (Lois) Bell, Isla Sauter and Lois Wilkinson, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Cremation will be followed by a memorial service in Salmo on a future date.