Bruce Gene Bell

He is preceded in death by his wife Barbara Bell. He is also preceded by his second wife June. He is survived by his five children and their spouses, Belinda and Craig Bakalian, Brian and Cori Bell, Brandon Bell, Barry and Belinda Bell and Becky and Neal Clarke as well as eleven grandchildren Clifford, Rose, Max, Sam, Maddie, Nathan, Megan, Faith, Hope, Elizabeth and Grace as well as two great grandchildren Lily and Oaken.

Bruce was born an only child on February 3, 1936 in Wichita, KS to J.W. And Elizabeth Bell. His father was working providing mortgages and moved the family to Oklahoma City soon after Bruce’s birth.

Bruce grew up in Oklahoma City where he graduated from the former Classen High School. He was nominated to Outstanding Young Men of America during this time.

He went on to pursue higher education at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee where he studied pre-med with intent to become a dentist. He was drafted into the Army after College.

Before he left for the service he connected with his soon to be wife Barbara Stine in Oklahoma City. He promised to write to her while in the service. His short stint in the Army gave him the interest and drive to apply for and attend OU Medical School while he served in the reserves.

He and Barbara were married on June 4, 1960. Before graduating from OU medical school and while he was completing his residency at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City his first two children were born. He began his medical practice in South Oklahoma City working out of an office by himself and partnering with South Community Hospital. (Now Integris Southwest) He served on the board of South Community hospital in the 1970s. He also served as a trustee at Oklahoma Baptist University. He and his family were members of Trinity Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. In 1967 he was ordained a deacon at Trinity and became the first child of a deacon to serve along side of his father at Trinity.

He and Barbara continued to expand their family with three more children through the late 1960s and early 1970s. They raised all five of their children in South Oklahoma City. He also made medical missions to Haiti and Thailand where he also trained med students in the art of triage as they saw many patients at a time.

He retired from his original medical practice early 2000s and immediately went back to work opening a clinic in Oklahoma City that served a mostly Hispanic population providing medical care for $10 a visit. He came to love the hispanic people who worked in and around Oklahoma City. His clinic thrived as he got free advertising from word of mouth and local Spanish radio stations. In 2005 the OBU Alumni Association honored him with a Profile in Excellence award for his clinic and mission work. Speaking of the Hispanic community in an interview at the time he said “The majority I see are not here to do us harm. They are here to provide for their families.”

His wife Barbara died in 2016. He reconnected with a college classmate June Pearson Cash in 2017 and they were married and lived in North Oklahoma City. He continued to work at his clinic into his early 80s and reluctantly retired soon after. We would like to thank all the workers and medical staff at The Mansion at Waterford memory care and Legend at Rivendell as well as the hospital staff at Integris Southwest and Integris Hospice House who took such good care of him in his final days.

Visitation for Bruce will be held at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper, 6600 Broadway Extension, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, on March 20, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with family being present from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A Funeral Service will take place at Trinity Baptist Church OKC, 1329 NW 23rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106, on March 21, 2026, at 1:30 pm.