Mary Jane Bell

May 29, 1929 – May 11, 2025

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Mary Jane Bell (peacefully) at Vancouver General Hospital, BC, Canada. She was preceded by her first husband, Walter Bell, and her second husband, Norman Wilfred Bell, and her sisters Margaret (Mitchell), Sarah (Mitchell), and Elizabeth (Barnes). Dearly loved Aunt to Beth (N. Ireland), Bill, Gordon, late Daniel, Dorothy, Irene, Linda, Cameron (Australia), Wilfred (Canada) and a much-loved Great Aunt.

A Graveside Celebration of her Life Service will be celebrated on May 29 2025, at 1.00 pm (which would have been her 96th birthday), located in the Ocean View Funeral Home “Garden of Peace” – Burial section. Speaker, Ross Smyth of South Burnaby Gospel Hall.

Please read the following, below and follow the picture sequence:

Mary was the second of four daughters of William and Mary Johnston, who lived on a farm at ‘Unagh’, Cookstown. At the time of her birth, she was a sickly blue baby. In the black and white photos, early pictures of Mary can be seen with her older sister Margaret, photo 1 and also in photo 2 on the left with her three sisters in front of their home.

In her school picture (Toberlane) Photo 3, Mary is sitting in the front row on the right, adjacent to the girl with the white top.

At the age of fourteen, Mary made a personal decision to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour. During this time, she had been attending Special meetings at Cookstown Gospel Hall. On leaving school, she worked in a local restaurant located in the centre of Cookstown, which was called “The Victory” to celebrate the end of the Second World War.

In photos 4 & 5, Mary can be seen as a young woman walking along a popular seaside boardwalk area common with locals for photographs of people visiting the coast. In photo 6, she is dressed in a typical farmer's attire.

Mary’s attendance and role on the occasion of each of her three sisters' weddings can be viewed in photos 7, 8, & 9, including a group photo 10 taken in 1956 when the four sisters were together for Elizabeth’s wedding.

In photos 11 & 12 Mary is with her nieces and nephews, including the Benson family that portray's the initial role she played in their early lives.

Mary emigrated to Canada in 1959 and in 1960, she married Walter Bell photos 13 & 14 (who was also formerly from Ireland).

Throughout her marriage to Walter, they travelled extensively for long periods that extended to travelling from the West to the East coasts across Canada, photo 15 & 15a on root to many visits to Ireland, Australia, New Zealand & the USA.

Prior to, the emigration of her older sister Margaret and family to Australia in 1961, Mary and Walter made their initial return visit to Ireland together photo16 and also on many later occasions, see photos 17,18 &19.

Photos of Australia 20, USA 21 & 22, and family in Canada 23 &24.

Six years after Walter’s death, in 1970, Mary married Norman Bell photos 25, 26 in 1976 and Mary can also be seen with Norman’s sisters Eileen and Thelma, 27 & 28.

Mary and Norman attended a large reunion of Norman’s cousins on the occasion of his cousin Essie Hamond’s 80th birthday (who was also Walter’s niece), which included relatives from Ireland, the USA & Canada. Photos 29, 30, 31, 32 & 33.

Mary’s sisters from Ireland visited her on several occasions in Canada, see photos 34,35 & 36.

Over the years, Mary celebrated her birthdays, see photos 37,38 & 39 and for her 80th birthday, she returned to Ireland, see photos 40, 41, 42, 43 & 44.

More recently, Mary spent time at a Day Care facility, photo 45 and with her carer, Grace, photo 46.

“Absent from the body, present with the Lord”

Condolences can be sent to www.oceanviewfuneral.com