John Richard Bell

John Richard Bell (Squeak), 69, was born on May 25, 1951 in Norwood, MA to Richard and Jane (Marsh) Bell. He passed away peacefully at home on January 24, 2021 of kidney failure. He was a longtime resident of Plainville, having lived there for 43 years. John graduated from Norwood High School in 1969 and then worked for Nugents/General Tire Company as a parts manager for almost 30 years.

John is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Sheila (Arbaczawski) Bell and his loving daughter Melissa of Plainville, MA. He is the dear brother of G. Michael Bell of Norwood, MA, Deborah Bell of Foxboro, MA, Christopher Bell and his wife Danna of Norwood, MA, and Mary Lou Famolle and her husband David of Walpole, MA. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother William. He is also survived by sisters-in-law and a brother-in-law, Holly Arbaczawski of Hyannis, MA, Michele Horner of Pennington, NJ and Robert and Amanda Mattarazzo of Feeding Hills, MA. John also had many wonderful nieces and nephews that he loved dearly and were a big part of his life.

John was a kind, humorous and loving person. He never missed the opportunity to socialize, enjoy a beer and a good laugh or joke with family and friends. John had numerous hobbies including fishing, hunting, trap shooting and he most of all enjoyed traveling with his family. He visited 49 of the US states only missing North Dakota. His last trip was a Disney cruise to Alaska where he went salmon fishing which had been a lifelong dream. He was a passionate fan of the New England Patriots and never missed watching a game. John greatly enjoyed wintering in Celebration, Florida with his beloved beagle, Duke.

John was active in many organizations during his life including the Norwood Elks where he was a member for almost 30 years. He is a life member of the Wrentham Sportsmen’s Club and served as past president. He will also be remembered for the Christmas visits he coordinated to the local nursing homes for over 25 years. John was an avid collector of beer cans and all types of breweriana for over 40 years and was a member of the Beer Can Collectors of America and the American Breweriana Association. He attended shows both locally and nationally always searching for that perfect piece of memorabilia to add to his collection. He was also a long-time member of the Plainville Beagle Club.

John had a charismatic personality and he always had a way of captivating his audience with his stories and life experiences. He was one of a kind and will be sadly missed by his entire family and many longtime friends.

Due to the pandemic and for health and safety for all, funeral services and visitation have been respectfully omitted. A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held at a time to be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to support the Renal Research Program/ Dr. Emily Robinson. Memorial gifts can be made online at www.bwhgiving.org or checks can be made payable to Brigham and Women's Hospital with “in memory of John R. Bell ” in the memo line and sent to: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Development Office, 116 Huntington Ave., 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02116.