Lou Ellen Bell
Born August 23, 1935
Died May 22, 2023
Youngest of six (6), Born in Beulaville, NC to James ‘Abe’ and Mary Daugherty Bell. After graduating from high school, Lou attended the James Walker Hospital School of Nursing. Upon graduating in 1956, Lou joined the Navy in 1957, joining the Navy Nurse Corp. She served in many Naval Hospitals and Hospital Ships, as well as foreign deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion. She served in Okinawa, Japan as well as DaNang, Vietnam from 1968-1969 and was awarded a Navy Commendation Medal for her work there. Lou completed her Bachelor degree in Nursing at the University of Boston in 1965 and her Master degree in Nursing at University of Florida in 1970. Lou Bell retired from the Navy in 1977 with the rank of Lt. Commander, remaining very active with the Florida Navy Nurse Corp Association. She even completed her Family Nurse Practitioner program from the University of Miami.
Lou Ellen worked for several years as a successful Real Estate Agent and Broker, serving on the Board of the Seminole Board of Realtors. Missing her nursing work, Lou signed up with the American Red Cross and served in Italy and Germany for four years. Upon returning to the states, she worked for the Visiting Nurse Association and Children Health Services providing nursing care to homebound patients.
When not busy with her many duties, volunteering, and work, Lou loved to travel to places such as Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia.
Lou Ellen Bell is survived by her sister, Bettie (Bell) Thompson Rathel, ten (10) nieces and nephews, and countless friends and associates.
A visitation will be held on Monday, June 12th, 2023 from 3-6PM at Veterans Funeral Care at 830 N. Belcher Road Clearwater, FL 33765.
Her burial will be on Tuesday, June 13th, 2023 at 12:30 PM at Florida National Cemetery at 6502 SW 102nd Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513.
A memorial service will be held in her honor on June 20th, 2023 from 2-4PM the Westminster Towers 70 West Lucerne Circle Orlando, FL 32801.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Florida Navy Nurse Corps Scholarship Fund for nursing students at NNCA.org or the Westminster Towers Benevolent Fund, 70 W. Lucerne Circle, Orlando, FL 32801
I will always cherish my friendship with my first cousin, Lou Ellen Bell. She was responsible for me meeting my first husband, Gordon Sims, the father of my 2 children, Candy Sims and Gordon Sims, II. Her mother, Mary Bell, and my mother, Lillie Herring, were sisters.
I miss Lou Ellen so very much!! When I lived at Westminster she was my best and only friend. We shared so many good times, eating out, and having evenings talking and once in a while shared a bottle of wine or tea. Lou Ellen was a very dear woman and nurse who I will always treasure.