Obituaries
Obituary for Vincent Austin Bell
Vincent Austin Bell passed away on January 7, 2013. Mr. Bell was born in Clinton, IA, on October 30, 1923. He attended schools in Morrison, IL, and graduated from Morrison High School in 1941. He was employed by Ingersoll Milling Machine Company in Rockford, IL, prior to enlisting as an Aviation Cadet in 1942. He graduated as a pilot in Class 44-D and served as a B-17 pilot with the 346th Bomb Squadron, 99th Bomb Group (H) of the Fifteenth Air Force in Foggia, Italy. In later years he became active in the 99th Bomb Group Historical Society, having attended most of their reunions over the past several years, and served as a director and President of that organization. Mr. Bell attended the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor"s degree in political science in 1949, and a law degree in 1951. He was recalled in the Air Force as a pilot in 1951, and served two years as a Judge Advocate and as a pilot. He remained active in the Reserve of the U.S. Air Force, and retired as a Colonel in 1975.Following his service during the Korean War he was employed by the Union Back & Trust Co. of Los Angeles, California until 1970. He was then employed by the Korea Exchange Bank, of Seoul, Korea, as an Advisor in the Los Angeles Agency, until 1974. That bank retained him to organize its first subsidiary in the United States and he served as a Director & Senior Vice President until 1980. He subsequently organized and founded two other banks in Los Angeles. He was a Director in three different banks over a twenty one year period.He was a York Rite Mason, Los Angeles Commandery #9, and a sixty year member of Iowa City Lodge #4, AF & AM. He was also active in the Al Malaikah Shrine Temple, and Royal Order of Jesters Court 84. Mr. Bell also belonged to Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the Retired Air Force Judge Advocates Association, and to the Iowa Law School Foundation President"s Club of the University of Iowa Alumni Association.He was married to Luciann Smith on August 20, 1949, in Davenport, IA. They made their homes in Iowa City, IA, Greenville, SC, and La Crescenta, CA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Whiteside County State"s Attorney Vincent Bell and Clara Stapelton Bell, brother, Robert Spencer Bell, and a niece, Barbara Ann Bell Keller. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, daughter Ann Wilson (Denton) and their children Tyler & Alexandra and his son, Vincent Austin Bell (Leila) and their children Jabe & Lucy.Interment will be in Grove Hill Cemetery Tuesday, January 29th.
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