William Rivers Bell Jr.

Early in his childhood, the family moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His mother passed while he was just a boy of 8 years. His father remarried within the year to Eva Dietlein of Opelousas, Louisiana. As World War II progressed, Bill was sent to Sewanee Military Academy to prepare him for military service. Upon graduation, with the war over, he attended Louisiana State University, earning both a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, then subsequently a master’s in business administration. He was a member of Sigma Nu social fraternity, and through stellar academic performance was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Phi, and Beta Sigma Phi honor societies. After completing his master’s degree, he joined the Air Force and was stationed at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts.

While stationed on Cape Cod, he met his wife, Letitia Joan Walters, on a blind date. They were married after a short romance on November 6th, 1954 and resided in Watertown, New York while Bill finished his Air Force commitment, obtaining the rank of Captain. Their first child, daughter Kathleen, was born during this period. After Bill’s honorable discharge, the young family moved back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for Bill to start his career with Esso/Standard Oil, now Exxon. Bill retired from Exxon in 1992 after 36 years of faithful service which included among other positions, long range planning and crude oil trading. During their time in Baton Rouge, they grew their family to include two more daughters, Susan and Jennifer, and two sons, William and James. A career promotion brought the family to Houston, Texas where he resided for the remainder of his life.

Bill was heavily invested in his community, furthering causes that reflected his moral character. He participated in volunteer activities, supporting his wife Tisha’s 70 year commitment and leadership in the Girl Scouts, his sons’ involvement in Boy Scouts, and serving his church as the President of St. John Vianney’s Parish Counsel. Upon retirement he volunteered for the Executive Service Corps of Houston and United Way’s Target Hunger. He also was very involved in supporting higher education through philanthropy at LSU with financial gifts and endowing an academic chair. He sponsored two Catholic priests through ordination in India.

He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. His wife of 58 years, Letitia, predeceased him in 2012. He is also predeceased by his sister, Barbara Faibish, her husband, George, and their one of two daughters, Helen. He is survived by his children Kathleen Benningfield and her husband Coy, their two children, Rory and Lauren with her wife Christiaan, of Raleigh, North Carolina; Jennifer Gaylord, her husband Robert, and daughter Nicole of Austin, Texas; Susan Siceluff and her husband Steve, their children, Andrea and David of Houston, Texas; William R. Bell III and his partner Tom Justin of New York City; and James Bell and his husband Ron of Laguna Woods, California; and his niece, Laura Alexakis, and her husband, Kostas, and their daughter, Eleni.

He loved ice cream, butterscotch and tapioca pudding. While highly educated and successful in business, his family was always his delight and priority. He loved teasing. He was like a father to many and loved by all.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 13 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, Texas 77079 with a reception to follow. Interment at Memorial Oaks Cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bill Bell scholarship fund /LSU Foundation through www.lsufoundation.org/bell or by mailing your donation to LSU Foundation with a notation designating the Bill Bell Scholarship to 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.