John “Jack” Bell

1937 – 2009

LEWISTON — John “Jack” Bell died unexpectedly on Friday afternoon, Nov. 20.

Born in Presto, Penn., on Dec. 14, 1937, he was the son of Clarence and Lucille (Wortsel) Bell.

John was a self-made man, having left Pennsylvania early in life to join the U.S. Navy in 1956 and served until 1960. John was stationed at the Brunswick Naval Air Base. He married his wife of 50 years, Clara (DeRome) Bell, on May 30, 1959, and settled down in Lewiston, never to leave again. John was in the automobile business for more than 40 years, and having recently retired from that business, he worked as a salesman at the Furniture Superstore in Lisbon.

John was a quiet, unassuming man who enjoyed landscaping, woodworking, fishing, the ocean and puttering on various handyman projects. He was always quick to help and loved the simple pleasure of taking pride in what he had created. He loved watching his granddaughters grow and attending their sporting events. He was known to his granddaughter’s softball team simply as “Pops” and was bat boy, mascot and cheerleader. John never passed up the opportunity to brag about his children. He was a man who considered his responsibility to his family a privilege and always put their needs above his own.

John will be truly missed.

He is survived by his wife, Clara; his children, Cindy-Lou Bell of O’Fallon, Ill., Carrie-Lee Bell of Scarborough, J. Troy Bell and his wife, Lynn, of Pine Tops, N.C., and Shawn K. Bell and his wife, Lisa, of Lewiston; two brothers, Norman Bell and his wife, Joan, of California, and Glenn Bell and his wife, Ruth, of New York; three sisters, Lorraine Cairns and her husband, James, of Pennsylvania, Dorothy Guter of Kentucky, and Charlotte Bell of Texas; and four grandchildren, Lindsey, Caitlin, Brittany and Briley Bell.