Richard H. Bell

Richard H. Bell, 73, of Mason City died Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Upon his wishes he was cremated and private memorial services will be held at a later date.
Richard was born July 11, 1935 to A. Howard and Nina M. Bell in Gary, Indiana. He graduated from Lew Wallace High School in Gary, Indiana in 1953. He attended college at Indiana University graduating with a B.S. degree in Industrial Management in 1958. He served three years from 1958-1961, in the Navy as a Repair Division Officer on board the aircraft carrier Valley Forge. He worked in production management with American Bakeries Co. till 1965, living in Roanoke, VA and Winston-Salem, N.C. He then worked as an industrial engineer with EJ&E Railway, Johnson & Johnson, and Kraft Foods in the Chicago area from 1965 to 1971. He managed a restaurant in Wisconsin Rapids for 1 years and Mason City for 2 years. Richard worked in various capacities in the trucking industry, operations, and sales for Hyman, Witte, and Crouse Cartage Companies from 1974 till 1988. He then formed a company, Fire Stop, sales and service for portable fire extinguishers and sales of farm supplies. At different times he was a member of Kiwanis, Sertoma, Elks Club, and the Lions. He was a retired Commander in the Naval Reserve and was Iowas area coordinator for Naval Academy Information Program from 1981 to 1988. He enjoyed the days volunteering at Music Man Square and was an avid piano player.
He is survived by his wife Betty; four children, Kim and Roy Rutta, Beth and Dean Diesberg, James Bell and Robert Bell; fifteen grandchildren; and sixteen great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, and a granddaughter.