Dr. Walter Lee Bell Jr.

MACON – Dr. Walter L. Bell, Jr. passed away into the presence of his Lord on June 14, 2011 at the age of 86. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thelma and Walter L. Bell, Sr. and by his beloved brother, Dr. Leonard W. Bell.

Dr. Bell was a graduate of Lanier High School and served during World War II in the Coast Guard, primarily in the South Pacific. After the war, he attended Mercer University for pre-optometry studies, graduating from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. He practiced Optometry in Macon and Middle Georgia for forty years, serving as President of the Middle Georgia Optometric Society on several occasions. Dr. Bell was a member of First Christian Church in Macon where he taught Sunday School for many years, served as chairman of the Board for two terms and was an elder emeritus at the time of his death.

He is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Kate Marie Gowen Bell; children, Vance (Jenny) Bell of Dalton, GA, Dee Dee (Bill) Quiggle of Crested Butte, CO, Walter (Beth) Bell, III of Atlanta, GA and George (Kathy) Bell of Atlanta, GA; seven grandchildren, Merrily Bell, Davis (Ginger) Bell, Jackson Bell, Katherine Bell, Ashley Quiggle, Laura Bell and Christopher Bell.

Services will be held at First Christian Church, Vineville Avenue on Saturday at 3 p.m. with private entombment in Macon Memorial Park Mausoleum. The family will meet friends from 1:30 p.m., to service time on Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to First Christian Church, 2306 Vineville Avenue, Macon 31204 or to the Georgia Academy for the Blind, 2895 Vineville Avenue, Macon 31204.

Visit www.snowsmacon.com to express condolences.

Snow’s Memorial Chapel Funeral and Cremation Services, Cherry Street has charge of arrangements.