William Alfred Bakewell

BAKEWELL, William Alfred "Bill" devoted and loving husband, father, stepfather, grandfather, stepgrandfather, brother and friend passed away on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, at Palm Garden of Pinellas in Largo. He was 84. Born May 25, 1927, in Plymouth, MI, Bill earned his undergraduate degree from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, before joining the U.S. Army where he served as a counterintelligence officer during World War II and the Korean War. He worked for and retired from the Internal Revenue Service, earned his Master's in Education from the University of South Florida, then started a second career with Pinellas County Schools where he taught for 20 years before retiring in 1992. Bill was married for 49 years to Beverly "Bev" Hicks Bakewell until her passing in February of 2001. Traveling with the family was his favorite pastime. In the early years, it was a very modest week's stay in a Siesta Key motel, followed by summers at Callaway Gardens, Georgia and then, sparked by a whirlwind European tour in the early 70's, numerous visits to London and Switzerland - his two favorites - and a dozen or more transatlantic sailings on the Queen Elizabeth 2. Some years after Bev's passing, Bill married Kathleen "Kathy" Hastings Bell who was quickly embraced by his children. The passion for travel continued with trips to Egypt, through the Panama Canal and two river cruises through Europe. Ireland and the Queen Mary 2 added to his extended family's list of favorite destinations and experiences. The couple annually spent most of the summer in Olean, NY, Kathy's hometown. Even well after retirement the teaching environment remained an important part of Bill's life and one of his favorite volunteer activities was cooking with kids in daughter Cristi's kindergarten classroom at Curtis Fundamental Elementary. For years, he traveled to Tallahassee to help lobby the Pinellas Legislative Delegation on behalf of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association. Bill was preceded in death by his infant son, Michael; his first wife, Beverly Hicks Bakewell; two brothers and one sister. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Hastings Bell Bakewell; daughters Marlise Bushman (Patrick) and Cristianne; sons Kevin (Debbie) and George (Teri); stepdaughters Anne-Marie Jehn (Greg), Tracy Stokes (Ken) and Lorraine Haney (Wayne); granddaughters Jennifer McClanahan (Eric), Laura Spaulding (Matt), Sarah Bushman and Anastasia Bakewell; grandson Michael Bakewell; step grandsons Ken Stokes III and Peter Haney; step granddaughters Loren, Meagan, Johanna and Dayannah Stokes and Abby Haney; one brother and one sister. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, March 3rd, at the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA) building, 605 Seminole Boulevard, Largo, FL 33770. A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Sunday, March 4th, at Anona United Methodist Church, 13233 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, FL 33774. Military Honors will be held at 11 am on Monday, March 5th, at Serenity Gardens Memorial Park, 13401 Indian Rocks Rd., Largo, FL 33774. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to PEER (Pinellas Education Employees-Retired) Scholarship Fund, c/o Carol Justice/PEER Scholarship Committee, Jade Moore Building, 650 Seminole Blvd., Largo, FL 33770 or Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, PO Box 23827, Tampa, FL 33623-3827. Arrangements are being handled by Moss Feaster Funeral Home, 13401 Indian Rocks Rd., Largo, FL 33774. Condolences may be offered at www.mossfeasterlargo.com.