Clifford Norman Bell
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Clifford Norman Bell, 95, of Laguna Woods, California, passed away on Saturday June 22, 2019.
He was born on May 14, 1924. He was the second of three children (Edward Jr. (1921-2010), Cliff (1924-2019), and Carolyn (1925-1999)) born to Edward Bryce Bell Sr. and Carrie Weber Bell in Paterson New Jersey. Cliff grew up in Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church of Paterson. He graduated from high school in 1942 and entered the Army Air Corps in January 1943. He served as a crew member (Staff Sargent) on B-17's as a ball turret gunner stationed in east-central England. He went to London a week after VE Day (Victory in Europe) and stood with the crowds outside Buckingham Palace to greet King George VI, the Queen Mother Elizabeth and daughters Margaret and Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II and 93 years old).
When the war was over in Europe, Cliff returned home to NJ on the original QE Luxury Liner that had been converted to accommodate more than 20,000 troops. He was discharged on October 31, 1945. Cliff's brother also survived the war after serving as a Marine in the Pacific and he also returned to NJ.
Cliff entered "Chef's Training" under the GI Bill and worked at a local hotel in NJ. Cliff and Ed's father was in the hotel business in Boston and wanted to give his sons a venue for employment, so he bought them a business hotel in Keene, NH. They took turns running the hotel and living in Keene (1948-1964). When Cliff was not managing the hotel, he worked at Miniature Precision Bearing and took classes at Keene State College.
During this era, Cliff needed some dental work and he was introduced by the dentist to his lovely young hygienist, Betty Powers. They were married in 1950 in St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Paterson, NJ. In 1965 Cliff made an occupational switch and entered the field of aviation and aircraft maintenance at Sander's Associates. Sadly, Betty died of ovarian cancer in 1982. They had no children. She is buried in the Powers' family plot in Leominster, Mass.
After 32 years of marriage, Cliff realized that he was happier married rather than single. So in 1983 he married a fellow church choir member, Fredrica Burnham Pow. She came with a good voice AND six married adult children and 14 grandchildren. They welcomed Cliff into their large family. This marriage lasted for 20 years till Fredrica died of kidney failure in 2003. Five of her 6 children have survived her.
By May 2004, Mary Carol Perrott, a widow of 16 years, had come to Desert Garden United Church of Christ in Sun City West, AZ, where Cliff was a member. She was the new Pastoral Intern, having just graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary. It was love at first sight and they were married October 23, 2004, a third marriage for both. They moved to Orange County, CA in 2006 and attended St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.
Mary Carol received a call from the First Presbyterian Church of Lyons, Kansas, in 2008 and was ordained. Cliff became the oldest pastoral spouse in the Presbytery of Southern Kansas! In 2010 they moved back to Orange County and settled in Laguna Woods. Cliff joined Geneva Presbyterian Church in 2015 and served as a Deacon.
Donations in Cliff's memory can be made to South County Outreach, 7 Whatney, Suite B, Irvine, CA 92618.
O'Connor Mortuary (949) 581-4300
www.oconnormortuary.com