Birth date: Apr 6, 1948 Death date: Aug 6, 2025
William Preston Bell, 77 years and 4 months old, passed August 6, 2025, at Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center, he was born April 6, 1948, in Longview, Texas, at Markham-McRee Hospital. We would like to thank Drs. Sharma and Tay Read Obituary
Tuesdays will be significantly less informative without William there to verify our facts and figures.
Where do I begin? How can I describe my uncle William? Without writing a book about him?
Well, I’ll have to say that he had so many friends in circles I never knew about until now
He touched so many peoples lives, most without knowing him or giving him a second glance.
He read tens of thousands of books, many he owned. He could speak voluminously about most any subject matter that exists and do so with authority and a knowledge of subject that brought one into his sphere of relevance to the topic.
You didn’t speak with William, you engaged with him - and he made you think. And think is how he required you to get to know him.
I’m honored to have known him as my uncle and I’ll never forget his intelligence, intellect and wit. He helped shape me to who I am today.
Love you William, and thank you for the knowledge bestowed to me.
Kenneth David Bell.
From Facebook when I heard of William’s passing:
I am chanting the Prajnaparamita Mantra in memory of our dear, dear friend William Bell of Longview, who died this morning.
Easily one of the most intelligent East Texans we’ve ever had the privilege to know. We became acquainted with him when we moved back home from Dallas in the mid 80’s, but he remembered us from the days of the old Nicholson Public Library, when we lived in a modest apartment across the street and spent a lot of time there with our nascent family as did he.
Acquaintance grew into friendship over the years, as did our appreciation of his amazing grasp of history in general and the history of American politics in particular. He was a frequent raconteur at gatherings of our circle of liberal friends, and many happy times as a guest in our home.
Finally, no one else that I can think of shared my inordinate love for the music of Randy Newman more than William. No one else could join me at the drop of the hat in singing those lyrics. And he knew all the words. I’m going to really miss that man.
Sarva Mangalam, old friend. And Godspeed. 😌_/|\_
A very kind, smart and giving person, Charlie Blalack, LHS '67
Being neighbors for 15 yrs with David and Pam we saw how much the families Love and Care for each other. Always there for each other. David and Pam when William would feel bad take him in to help him. Checked on him so much. Lived just around the corner from him and also his nephew. Nephew and Niece were being supportive too!
Being such a FAMILY is remarkable! GODS lOVE AND GRACE IS FELT SO DEARLY DURING SADNESS BUT REJOICING THAT HE IS TOTALLY HEALED.
Love and Prayers
Wayne & Margaret Musslewhite
I met William in high school around 1965. We also attended college together, although in different disciplines. We spent a lot of time together. We both lived in the Varsity Apartments separately. William often visited late at night and would love to listen to my roommate’s sophisticated stereo system belt out music while we watched a muted television. He would entertain us with snippets of Lenny Bruce’s comedy routines. I think he invented head banging to loud music from the Cream.
I was just visiting with my old roommate by text and he reminded me of William’s penchant for laundered and iron buttoned down shirts. I remember one time he and several others drove to the “county line” about 35 miles distant. William had bought two bottles of Blue Nun Liebfraumilch but upon exiting his car he stumbled on a concrete parking barrier and dropped both bottles. At that time William’s temper was pretty famous and the rant lasted all the way back to the liquor store.
When I graduated I was drafted but joined the Marine Corps instead. I owned a Yamaha 12 string guitar at the time and William volunteered to keep it for me. Several years later after I left the Corps he brought it to my parent’s house in Longview. I was living in Beaumont at the time and retrieved it on my next visit. William and I never saw each other again but he was often remembered and tales of his friendship shared in later years with roommates, my brother and mutual friends. God bless you, my friend.
In the late sixties William received a phone call from Uncle Ben urging William to come to his shop (Ben Bell Interiors on High Street) as he was expecting a customer William should meet. When the customer came in, William immediately recognized Van Cliburn. As they meet each other, William notices the hands of this world-famous pianist, long fingers and a different handshake.
Fast forward to 2012 when again a simple handshake was exchanged between Dr. Lance Oxford, micro-surgeon in Dallas, who had similar hands to Van Cliburn. Similar of hand span with long fingers graceful, delicate hands either for classical music or microsurgery. Different skill set with different challenges, yet connecting the dots nearly fifty years apart.
Yes, William paid attention..
William and I date back into the mid-late 60's, hanging around the H-D shop behind Crawford's house on Mobberly. While we were not close in those days, we did stay in touch, and while he was the Documents Librarian we saw a good deal of each other. His range of knowledge was incredible - from flow-porting heads, to detailed analysis of history/philosophy/science, to an innate understanding of mechanical processes....he was honestly one of a handful of the smartest people I have had the privilege on knowing.
After he was unjustly hounded from the library, he joined L.U.1097 as a millwright, and shortly afterwards I was elected as B.A. During the next decade I had the opportunity to work closely with him. William was razor sharp, and detail oriented - he saw everything, missed nothing, and was wise enough to keep his mouth shut...most of the time.
He was an original member of our informal tuesday group of liberals, but in later years withdrew rather than speak out freely - he did not readily suffer fools.
We spoke often, and when I moved from Longview to New Mexico we discussed his coming to visit if his health permitted. He shared that their parent's honeymoon was spent in Cloudcroft (7 miles from my place), and that their family made numerous trips back there....I'm sad his last trip did not come to pass.
I have become somewhat notable for my use of quotations - that is a habit which I patterned directly after William's. The scale of his knowledge of history was vast, and I practice his advice to this day - Look For Patterns.
He was my friend, and a memorable fellow indeed.
Godspeed William Bell.
tom mitchell
