George F. Bell

George Francis Bell (1948-2025) It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of George F. Bell, who departed this life on June 8, 2025, in Akron, Ohio, surrounded by family who loved him dearly and miss him every moment of every day. Born on August 27, 1948, in Dennis Massachusetts, my dad, George, was many things to many different people. Some called him friend, some called him brother, but I had the honor of calling him Daddy. He called himself “a jack of all trades, and a master of none.” If he was exceptionally found of you, he would give you a nickname, as he did for many over the years. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, and friend. George Attended Herman Elementary School in Herman, Maine, Dennis-Yarmouth Reginal High School, and Bangor High School in Bangor, Maine. He enlisted in the Army on April 15, 1968, and completed Basic Training and Military Police School at Fort Gordon in Georgia from April-September 1968. My dad served in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer in Okinawa, Japan for 18 months before being shipped back to Boston, Massachusetts. He then served in Germany from 1970-1972 as a Military Police Officer, where he also trained with the German Army for 3 weeks, and he enjoyed sharpshooting on skis, and weather that reminded him of home in New England. He finished his service to his country in 1972, earning the rank of Sergeant.

Upon his Honorable Discharge from the United States Army in 1972, George attended Cape Cod Community College from 1973 to 1975. He also attended Fischer Junior Business College in 1975. He then moved to Killian, Vermont and began a career as a business partner at a restaurant and bar. George returned to Cape Cod and worked for Author Sears Construction and various bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, before moving to Naples, Florida in 1979. He found work as a manager at J. P’s Restaurant, where he met the love of his life, “his bride.”

After dating my mother, Wanda Louise Galloway, “His bride”, as he always called her, they married on February 14, 1981. After their oldest child, Georgia, was born, they left Florida and moved to New Hampshire in 1983. In 1984, they moved to George’s hometown of Dennis, Massachusetts, where their second daughter, Molly, was born. George worked construction at Author Sears until he was hired at the United States Postal Service in 1985. He began working for USPS at the Brockton, Massachusetts location. In 1986, George was allowed to transfer to the USPS in Canton, Ohio where he worked as a mail handler until he retired in 2001. He was also a lifelong member of the American Legion.

Retirement did not suit my father, and he returned to work in 2010 for Tenable Protective Services. He was assigned to Miller South School for the Visual and Preforming Arts for 7 years, where he protected and mentored so many students and made so many lasting friendships. In 2010, George went to work for the U.S. Census Bureau in Akron, Ohio where he also made even more lasting friendships. In 2017, he retired from Tenable, and began working at Laural Lake Retirement Community in Hudson, Ohio where he worked for four and a half years until his health no longer allowed.

My father, Mr. George Bell, also owned several small businesses. He and my mother owned George and Wanda’s Antiques and Collectibles when we first moved to Ohio, George’s Rootbeer and More and George’s Candles and More in the late 1990’s and a second version of the same rootbeer wagon when the original was stolen, as well as many others. He was literally a jack of all trades and a master of so many more.

There is so much I could say about my father. I could never have prayed for a more loving, more devoted, sillier, kinder, funnier dad if I had tried. He was the man we turned to for advice, when times were hard, if we were scared, and when we had wonderful, exciting news. He was devoted to his family, and those friends who were adopted family. His laugh and smile were contagious and came from the heart. George loved a good auction and flea market where he could be found in rain or shine, usually with his family in tow when we were young and surrounded by dear friends when his kids were grown and had families of their own.

George Bell is survived by “My Beautiful Bride,” Wanda Louise (Galloway) Bell; their eldest daughter, Georgia Grace (Bell) Barnhart and son-in-law, Jared Lucas Barnhart; youngest daughter, Molly Ann (Bell) Hernandez; grandsons: Drake Romel Bell, Mario Thomas George Bell, Brock Valentino Bell, and Wyatt Hernandez; as well as granddaughters August Naomi Bell, and Bryn Allessandra Bell, and brother Willam Bell; and preceded in death by his father and mother, Edward Francis Bell and Olive Grace Bell, sister, Deedra Doane; and son Farrar Fitzgerald Galloway.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 19, 2025, at 2pm, at the Frank Bender American Legion Post 473 at 3522 Copley Road, Copley, Ohio 44321. In lieu of flowers, please donate in George Bell’s name to either the Wounded Warrior Project or Vietnam Veterans of America.