Barbara Celia West Bell, died Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Memorial University Medical Center. The Arkansas native had lived in Savannah since 1946. She attended Ward-Belmont Boarding School in Nashville. She graduated from Northwestern University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She was a member of Tri Delta Sorority.
Barbara pursued a career as a free-lance journalist, newspaper and magazine columnist as well as writing audio-visual programs for UNC and Duke University Medical Centers. For several years she was the last of a series of columnists for the discontinued "Nobody's Business". For 18 years she wrote local biographies for "This Week at The Landings" magazine.
She was the third president of the Savannah Symphony Guild, a past president of Children's Theatre where she wrote, directed and produced plays in City Auditorium for Savannah's school children. She was an early tour guide for Historic Savannah Foundation, a 40 year member of the Savannah Garden Club, a former member of the Bethesda Board, the English Speaking Union, Telfair Museum of Art and "The One Hundred" of Backus Children's Hospital. She was a communicant of St. John's Episcopal Church.
Survivors include: her husband, William H. Bell, Jr., three sons, Parker Vance Page and wife, Laura, of Oakland, CA, Lee Burton Page and wife Nancy, of Westerville, OH, and Owen H. Page, III, of Greenville, SC. Three grandchildren, Larkin of Oakland, Kevin and Ryan of Westerville, six step-daughters and their families.
Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday, March 15, 2010 at Fox and Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel.
Funeral Service will be 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at St. John's Episcopal Church.
Burial will be in the Greenwich section of Bonaventure Cemetery.
Remembrances may be made to St. John's Church Women's Guild, One West Macon Street, Savannah, GA 31401 or a favorite charity.
Fox and Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel