William J. Bell - Obituary

illiam J. "Bill" Bell, 96, a 39-year resident of Annapolis, MD and previously of Bowie, MD, died on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at the Rebecca Fortney Inpatient Care Center in Pasadena, MD of natural causes. Born on December 2, 1922 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Bill grew up in Coraopolis, PA. He raised his family in Emsworth, PA before relocating to Bowie, MD. Bill was employed as a Freight Rate Specialist with the federal government for 26 years. Bill was a longtime parishioner and lector at St. Mary's Parish in Annapolis, MD. He enjoyed tennis, bridge, community theater, choir, crossword puzzles, game shows, Sunday drives and was an avid walker. Bill especially loved spending time with his family. He will be remembered for his great wit, sense of humor, and his love of making puns. Bill was a gentle spirit and devout Catholic whose faith was evident in his actions. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Mary Ann Rafferty. Bill is survived by five children, William E. (Angela) Bell of Glen Burnie, MD, Rosemary (Ed) Sheehan of Bluffton, SC, Peggy (Michael) Murphy of Ellicott City, MD, Nancy (Brian) Mahaney of Annapolis, MD, and Mary Ellen (Jay) Shipley of Pasadena, MD; a brother-in-law, Frank (Marilyn) Rafferty of Cincinnati, OH; six grandsons, Ben and Dan Shaffer, Shaun and Willie Bell, Michael John Mahaney, and Tom Shipley; nine granddaughters, Kerri Morse, Kat Mahaney, Teresa Purdum, Anita Sakay, Mary Beth Volk, Leigh Ann Reeves, Ruthie Bell, Molly Felmey, and Erin Michael and 28 great-grandchildren. Friends are invited to celebrate Bill's life at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD on Friday, June 14, from 4 to 6 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 620 N. Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD on Saturday, June 15, at 9 am. Interment will immediately follow at Lakemont Memorial Gardens, Davidsonville, MD. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Hwy., Pasadena, MD 21122 or St. Jude Children's Research, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Condolences may be made by clicking the Memory Wall link on this page.