Patrick Bell

With deepest sorrow we announced that Patrick Bell, age 36, most beloved son, brother, family member and friend passed unexpectedly on Saturday October 22nd 2022 in the nursing facility in which he was residing. Those who knew Patrick,even just a little, lost a shining light in their lives. Patrick will be missed every day by his mother Donnette Bell, his father Brandon Bell, his brother Brandon, Jr., William Bell, Earl Bell Washington and Andre Bell Washington and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and many, many great friends.
We know Patrick is now with his great-grandparents Charlie and Pearl Casey, his grandparents Donald and Jeanette Johnson and uncles and is loved here on Earth as well as in Heaven. We will love and miss you so much son.

Build Me a Son, O Lord

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.  Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.  Build me a son whose heart will be clean, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past. And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.  Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain.”

(General Douglas MacArthur)