Mr William Billy Billy Bell II

William “Bill” Bell was born in Berkeley, California, to parents William John Bell and Beryl Bell. At age 18, he met Betty Keller from Kelso, Washington, and they were married two years later. She was his “bride” and guardian angel for 73 ½ years. Almost 40 of those years were spent in Roswell, Georgia, where they were deeply involved in various volunteer activities, especially at Roswell United Methodist Church during the years from 1977-2001. After retiring from the California Ink Company/Tenneco in 1981, he became involved in, and president of, the Georgia Chapter of the American Diabetes Association. He was a positive inspiration to many people affected by the challenges of diabetes since he had been a Type 1 diabetic for 87 of his 94 years. He was only 7 in 1928 when he was diagnosed, just six years after insulin was discovered. He never let his “challenge” keep him from doing anything he wanted to pursue, such as playing football in his youth, working at his job in sales for 43 years, travelling, swimming, camping, receiving a pilot’s license, and being an active, loving husband and father to three children.

Bill is preceded in death by his son William John “Billy” Bell III, his parents, his sister Barbara Ann Bell and his wife Betty Irene Bell. He is survived by his sister Beverly Armstrong of Elk Grove, California; his daughters Barbara Payne (George) of Westminster, California and Bonnie Kish (Steve) of Marietta, Georgia; grandchildren Deborah Hahn (Greg), John White (Jillia), Brian White (Wendy) and Sarah Kish; great-grandchildren Max and Maddie Hahn, Logan and Dylan White, and Scarlett Ann White.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, April 2 at 11 AM at the Roswell Funeral Home on Mansell Road in Roswell.