Dr. John O'Brien-Bell

Dr. John O’Brien-Bell was born into a medical family in Birmingham, England on a hot summer day with a Salvation Army band playing on the street below. His happy childhood was rocked when his father died when John was only 13. He remained very close to his mother, Greta, until she died suddenly in 1974.

John served with the British army in Malaya (Malaysia) celebrating his 19th birthday in the jungle. He graduated from the Westminster Medical School where he met a young nursing student he would eventually marry, qualified as a doctor in 1956 and then worked in family practice in both Stowmarket and Letchworth until he immigrated to Canada in 1966 with his wife, Louie, and two young children in tow.

He lived in and worked in Surrey for over 55 years and was involved in all aspects of the community. He served on Surrey council in the 1970s, helped found the Surrey United Soccer Club, was a member of the Surrey Medical Society, and Chief of Staff at Surrey Memorial Hospital. After retiring from practice, he continued to work in walk-in clinics seeing patients until he was well into his 80s. He was also involved in medical politics and was a past-president of both the BCMA (now Doctors of BC) and the CMA. In 2002 he was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Service.

John enjoyed the outdoors, playing golf (poorly as he freely admitted), skiing (both water and snow), sailing (surviving a near fatal accident on Lake Okanagan), playing soccer, cycling, and running (which he did into his 80s when he participated in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay).

He loved to travel. He loved adventure. Whether skiing the Alps, golfing in Ireland, trekking through tropical jungles, relaxing on cruise ships, sunning on the beaches of Mexico, visiting the Opera House in Manaus, taking in theatre on Broadway, eating in quaint French restaurants, running a 10K in Creston, walking through local street markets, escorting grandchildren around London museums, or searching back-alley antiques shops for that perfect piece to bring home, John always had a smile on his face and always a story to tell. He had the gift of the gab, perhaps because he had Irish heritage or perhaps because he had once kissed the Blarney Stone. Either way he had the words to go with every occasion.

John is survived by his sister Anne Gillam (UK), daughter Catharine (Surrey), five grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, cousins and second cousins strewn across both sides of the Atlantic. Sadly, he was predeceased in 1988 by his wife Louie and in 2017 by his son Andrew.

John lived a long and storied life, so we will celebrate him in the same way. Through a collection of photographs, videos, published articles, and spoken words we will share our memories of him and honour his accomplishments on May 21st 2022 from 1-4pm at Victory Memorial Park in South Surrey. Doors open at 12:30, refreshments will be served.

The family wishes to thank Surrey Memorial Hospital and all the amazing nurses and doctors who helped John throughout his career but especially those who looked after him in the last days of his life. Donations in his memory can be made to the Surrey Hospital’s Foundation.