Bruce McConnel Bell

Bruce McConnel Bell, age 82, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully at home on September 24, 2024. Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, October 14, 1941, Bruce was the son of the late Dr. Robert King Bell and Helen Fine Bell. Bruce grew up in Flossmoor, Illinois where his father was the Minister of the Flossmoor Community Church. He graduated from Bloom Township High School, later being awarded the Outstanding Graduate of the Class of 1959. He spent weekends and summers working tirelessly as a caddy at Flossmoor Country Club and later as a factory worker at Bennett Industries to earn money that would pay for his college education. He earned his B.A. at Earlham College and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati concentrating on invertebrate paleontology, sedimentation and stratigraphy. As a student, he published his dissertation, A Study of North American Edrioasteroidea, numerous articles and earned multiple awards. As an expert in the Edrioasteroid, one such Edrioasteroid species, the Pyrgopostibulla belli, was named in his honor.

Bruce’s career in the oil and gas industry began early. While in graduate school, he began a long career as a Petroleum Geologist interning at Pan American Petroleum in Oklahoma City. After graduate school, his love of science and the field of Paleontology brought him to New York where he was Senior Curator of Paleontology at the New York State Museum in Albany, New York where he worked for more than a decade. During this time, Bruce was married and had two daughters, Kathleen Bell Phillips and Susan Bell Lewis.

In 1980, Bruce was invited to be the Director of the Stovall Museum at the University of Oklahoma. Soon after his move, a mutual friend set Bruce up on a blind date with Carri Abernathy. Even as a confirmed bachelor, with her father’s approval, Bruce and Carri were married a quick 6 months later. In 1982, Carri invited Bruce to become a part of her independent oil and gas producing company, Post Oak Oil Company. Bruce and Carri together went on to build Edrio Oil Company and other petroleum related businesses where they drilled wells across Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado and traveled to Russia and other foreign countries on business ventures. They were married 42 happy years working side by side in the oil and gas industry, banking industry and multiple real estate ventures. They shared their love of hard work, their country, OU Football and spending time with friends and family.

In 1991, Bruce’s career took another interesting turn when Bruce was asked to join the Board of Directors for Southwestern Bank. Carri's father, the late Jack H. Abernathy, was one of the original founders of the Southwestern Bank in 1964. After Jack’s death in 1996, Bruce became Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman where he served with Carri until the bank was sold in December 2005.

Bruce was an active member of the Oklahoma City community. He had the honor of serving as chair of Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association from 2006-2017. Bruce also proudly served on the Board of Directors for Panhandle Oil and Gas from 2004-2012 and Cleary Petroleum. He was a member of Oklahoma City Explorations Group and Committee of 100. Bruce lobbied relentlessly to improve the climate of the energy sector and his work was widely published including in USA Today.

A man of integrity, honor and hard work, Bruce had a strong love for family and friends. When not at work, he enjoyed spending time outdoors fishing and hiking. In his youth, Bruce’s favorite memories were of fishing in the lakes of Wisconsin with his father. Later in life, he loved fishing with his father-in-law in Yellowstone and Colorado. He passed on this tradition to his two grandsons teaching them to fish in the rivers and streams of Salida, Colorado. When not in the mountains, he took every opportunity to be in the ocean, snorkeling for miles every day observing sea urchins and sea life. Bruce’s love of exploration and nature was unsurpassed.

Bruce’s wit and wonderful sense of humor will be missed by all that knew him.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Helen Bell, and his brother Robert Craig Bell.

Bruce is survived by his wife of 42 years, Carri Abernathy Bell, his two children from his previous marriage to Doris Jean Bell: Kathleen Bell Phillips and Matthew Phillips of Newport, Wales and Susan Bell Lewis and her husband Dr. Clint Lewis of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was blessed with three grandchildren, Madeline Phillips, Henry Lewis and William Lewis. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Sarah Hartmann and nieces, Ellen and Joyce Bell of California.

A Celebration of Life reception will be held at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club on October 8, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Oklahoma Parkinson’s Alliance, 720 W. Wilshire #109, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, https://oklahomapa.org/donate, or the charity of your choice.