William Alvin Bell

William Alvin Bell, 67, of Atlanta, Georgia died of complications from colon cancer on Monday, March 12, 2012. He was born in Frederick, Maryland on October 17, 1944 and was the second child of William Harold Bell and Elva Jane Bell. He and his family moved to Georgia when he was nine years old. Throughout his teenage years he was known as ‘Billy,’ but he began going by ‘Bill’ when he attended Georgia Tech in the fall of 1962. He obtained his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1972 and then worked at Lockheed Martin as an aerospace engineer for ten years. Bill then began working for Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), where he was currently employed. Bill married Arlene Christine Finch in September 1977. They have two children, Christopher Michael, 27, and William Thomas, 23. Chris graduated from Auburn University in 2006 and is currently working towards a Ph.D. in Psychology at Georgia State University. William graduated from the University of Georgia in 2010 and is a Trade Operations Analyst at the Intercontinental Exchange. Along with his dedication to his work at GTRI, Bill was an avid historian. He served as the neighborhood historian for the Peachtree Heights East Neighborhood Association (PHENA) and in 2000 published A History of Peachtree Heights East, where he explored the neighborhood’s history. Additionally, Bill was a member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church where he took Bible Study classes for many years. Bill is survived by his wife, Arlene, his two sons, Chris and William, his older sister, Bonnie Chase, his younger brother, Tom, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 16, 2012 at H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, 4550 Peachtree Road Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia 30319. The family will greet visitors one hour before the service.