Bernard E. Bell, 95

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Bernard E. Bell of Providence died Dec. 20 at the Philip Hulitar Hospice after a brief illness. He was the husband of the late Claire Abrams Bell, with whom he had a loving marriage of nearly 62 years.

He was the father of Deborah Bell of Kansas City, Mo., and Jonathan Bell of Providence, and the late Daniel Bell, and the brother of the late Miriam Smith and the late David Bell. He was born in Providence, the son of Joshua and Annie (Burke) Bell.

Bernie graduated from Classical High School in 1938 and Brown University in 1942 and served in the Army Air Corps in England and Belgium from 1942 to 1945.

He was the former President of Milhender Distributing Company and a business executive during his working life, but he made charity his life’s work. Before and after retirement he devoted himself to philanthropy, working with numerous causes locally, nationally and internationally. He was dedicated to the hospice movement and was named Person of the Year by the National Hospice Organization in 1990.

For more than 20 years he was president of American Friends of The Hospice of the Upper Galilee. He was president of Children’s Friend and Service, vice president of The Providence Chamber of Commerce, president of the Touro National Heritage Trust, a board member of the W.F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research, and was prominent in numerous other organizations. He also had a lifelong devotion to Israel and Jewish causes. He was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1991.

He was a devoted alumnus of Brown University and marched in the commencement procession every year including this year, at age 94. He was honored as Alumni Marshall at commencement four times, and he received the Brown Bear Award and the Nan Tracy ‘46 Award.

He was a most dapper man – his boater hats and ascots were famous, as was the flower in his lapel. He was a friend to many people, helping them in different ways, and had lifelong friends in many parts of the world, with whom he kept in contact. He also loved tennis and played regularly until he was 92.

Contributions in his memory may be made to American Friends of The Hospice of the Upper Galilee, P.O. Box 603048, Providence, R.I. 02906.