Ted E. Bell

Ted Emerald Bell passed away comfortably in his sleep at the age of 91 on January 23, 2024. He was born in Bellingham, WA. Ted was preceded in death by his father Bernard, mother Ruth and nine out of 11 siblings as well as his son-law Myles Donnelly.

In 1955 he married Rae Rowley the love of his life and they were married for 68 years. Ted leaves behind his wife Rae, his brother Steve Bell. Children Jere’ (Bell) Donnelly, Jerry, Joanie, Jimmy Bell and loving dog, Maggie May, along with many nieces and nephew, and neighborhood kids who thought of him like a second dad.

Ted joined the Marines right out of high school. He loved racing motorcycles around in the mud at Hannegan Speedway. Ted and Rae were both very involved in 4H. Ted was kept very busy hauling horses around for his kids and the neighborhood kids too; horse shows, rodeos, trail riders. He also enjoyed camping with his family and a fabulous group of friends. When he retired from a long career as a longshoreman and foreman, he took up golfing. Ted loved playing at Raspberry Ridge. He joined the men’s club and did a little work around the golf course. He enjoyed playing golf with family and friends. He loved the challenge of the game but mostly he loved the people he met on the course.

In 2018 Ted and Rae moved into James Street Estates. Ted loved to sit out in the garage on sunny days with the door up watching, waving and saying hello to his neighbors as they went by. After a short time, Ted made friends with a great group of guys. They would gather in his garage at 10 am, six days a week for an hour, drinking coffee and solving world problems; there was always a lot of laughter. For the last year the coffee group moved into Ted's living room because he was unable to make it out to the garage. Since Ted’s passing the men’s group to this day still meets in his living room.
He was a warm, kind-hearted, fun-loving man who enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He touched the lives of many people and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.