In Memoriam
Dr. Wayne C. Bell
Feb 18, 1943 - Oct 13, 2014
We regret to inform the YA community and other frequenters of this blog that Dr. Wayne C. Bell passed away on the morning of October 13.
Wayne was the original "yellowarmadillo" (a neologism of his own coinage) and, of course, the progenitor of this blog. Wayne regarded this blog to be an extension of his mind and a good window into how his brain worked. Peer through this window and you will find the keenest of insight, the wryest of humor, a wonderfully eclectic intellectual taste, and many slices-of-life from a life well-lived.
But of course Wayne was much more than simply a blog author to the many, many people whose lives he touched. For me, he was my mentor, my best friend, and a second father. I loved him very much, and I will miss him.
Wayne's obituary can be found here. Wayne's memoir is a wonderful piece of writing and a great source of information about his life and times.
Please consider a contribution in Wayne's memory to the Murray Independent School District Foundation for Excellence, which can be found here. A particular favorite of his was the Burgess-Spann Foreign Travel Fund.
Wayne: Rest in Peace my dear friend. Your light shone very brightly here, and for those of us who knew you and loved you, the world will always be a dimmer place without you in it.
To my fellow yellowarmadillos, and to other friends of Wayne: Please be sure to add your own thoughts in the comments below.
Rob Donnelly
Thursday, October 16, 2014
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(About "Professor" Wayne Bell who passed on October 13th 2014.)
ReplyDeleteProfessor
You enjoyed a good movie, Becket? Shane?
chess a game you loved so dearly
half a cup of coffee with a plastic cup so you get it hot each time
a book writer, getting denied tenured, but at the end succeeding
an unfinished list, songs of his liking
house on fire with his little sister in his lap, on the grass
sat there holding her, so she wouldn't run into the flames
sweet was he, compassionate, lovable smile
when you needed to talk, he would listen
sitting, eating breakfast, talking about england and becket
we will miss you, but your spirit lives on.
By Rosie Donnelly*
*the last thing I got to do with him was eat breakfast with him
That is a really wonderful poem, Rosie. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt is odd (or perhaps it's not) how much breakfast, diners in general, figure in to my own vivid affections for Wayne. It must be the warmth and comfort he invited in those moments. Time with him to think and talk and hear him laugh. The pleasure he took in ideas and moments great and small was so grand and contagious. The anticipation of where his mind would go next or how he would react to a story or joke. There is that sense from being a kid that evaporates little by little as we get older, at least for me, that anything is possible and everything holds interest. Wayne was always able to give some dimension of that that back to me, at least for a little while, to make the world interesting and exciting again. Oh how I will miss you dear Wayne, and oh how I will always carry you with me.