Mr. Bell -- FFW Band Member Passes Away

Below is a photo of Mr. Walter Bell taken in June 2004 at our Fairfax Historical Society Pie & Ice Cream Social in front of the Baptist Building here in Fairfax:

WALTER L. BELL
ST. ALBANS - Walter L. Bell, son of the late Frederick A. and Lucile (Cline) Bell, died May 9, 2006, after a brief illness. He was born in Swanton, Vt. on Feb. 16, 1918.

He graduated from the Swanton High school in 1935. During this time he was active in the Boy’s Band and in the DeMolay. In July of 1941, he married Fayan Riley of Swanton. They celebrated 52 years together. Fayan predeceased him on May 20, 1993.

Walter was a U.S. Navy Veteran of World War II and then worked for the family business, a service station. He taught flying for Fly Right at both the Burlington and Plattsburgh Airports in the early 40s. He worked as an agent with Prudential Insurance Company for over 30 years.

He was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, where he served on several committees and as Sunday School Superintendent for several years. Walter was a member of Seventy-Six 14, F&AM, Swanton Chapter 11, Order of Eastern Star, Mt. Sinai Temple 3, AAONMS and the Mt Sinai Band. He was a life long member of the Citizen’s Band and enjoyed playing with both the Fairfax and Milton bands. For nearly 20 years he served as the Poultry Superintendent at the Champlain Valley Fair. One could see him each day greeting visitors to the building with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eye as he proudly answered questions and showed off his birds. One of the things he enjoyed the most was a good visit with friends both long term and new.

He leaves behind two daughters, Donna Ryalls and her husband, Edward of Dracut, Mass. and Carol Frechette and her husband, Harlow of Georgia, Vt.; his grandchildren, Kristen DuBois Sheppard and her husband, Jeremy of Dracut, Mass., Karen DuBois of Tyngsboro, Mass., Matthew Frechette and his wife, Shannon of St. Albans, Vt., Sarah Frechette, and Kenneth Frechette and his fiancé, Jodie Mashtare, all of Georgia, Vt.; his four great-grandchildren, Steven Sheppard and Jade, Libbey and Ethan Frechette; a brother, Donald Bell and his wife, Marie of Swanton, Vt.; a sister, Bernice Lorah and her husband, Clarence of Florida; and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2006, at 11a.m. in St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on Church Street with the Reverend Herman Benjamin officiating. Interment will be in the Bell family lot in Riverside Cemetery in Swanton. Walter’s family will receive friends on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Heald Funeral Home, 87 South Main St., St. Albans. A Masonic Ritualistic Service will be held at the funeral home on Friday at 7:45 p.m.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider memorials to the Franklin County Home Health Agency, 3 Home Health Circle, St. Albans, Vt. 05478. Messages of condolence and memories are welcome at http://www.healdfuneralhome.com.