Eric Edouard Bell

COLUMBIA A funeral service for Eric Edouard Bell, 36, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 22, 2016, at Riverside Community Church, 2925 Devine Street, Columbia, with burial in Elmwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 until 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, 2016, at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. Eric passed away Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Born in May 1980 in Strasbourg, France, he was the son of Antony “Tony” I. and Elizabeth “Betsy” Downer Bell. When he was 7, he and his family settled in South Carolina, and he always retained his appreciation of his French roots, as well as being proud of the English heritage passed on by his father. He loved discussing and debating history, politics and religion, and was a lover of knowledge. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s Degree in European Studies, and graduated from the University of Manchester (England) with a Master’s Degree in International Development, both with honors. He had a tender heart towards those in need, human and canine, and he was never without a beloved dog by his side. Eric had an instinctive flair for cooking, and he enjoyed cooking gourmet meals for his family and friends. He was also known for being a jokester who loved concocting practical jokes, and made people smile by being silly at times. He was a much-loved son, brother and uncle, and will be sorely missed by his parents, Tony and Betsy Bell; his sister and brother-in-law, Florence and Andrew Eckstrom; his nephews, Drew, Ian and Benjamin Eckstrom; as well as by his many extended family members and friends.