Kenneth W. Bell
Los Gatos resident Dr. Kenneth William Bell, an orthodontist and medical missionary, died July 2 after a battle with cancer. He was 72.
Born Aug. 26, 1923 in Vancouver, B.C., Bell studied at the University of British Columbia, then transferred to the University of Oregon in the 1940s to study dentistry. He later was admitted to the University of Illinois to study orthodontics.
Upon settling in the Santa Clara Valley in 1954, Bell specialized in the surgical correction of cleft palates. He spent nearly 35 years in private practice in both San Jose and Gilroy. He was also a member of the Santa Clara County Dental Society, the American Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontists and the Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists.
After retiring in 1988, he became active in the Saratoga Federated Church, Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and in the Christian advocacy of the Paraclete. That same year, at his own expense, he began making trips to Honduras, Mexico and Belize with other doctors, dentists and professionals to provide medical care and instruction to the poor.
Although he underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 1991, he continued making missionary trips, including to Albania following the fall of Communism. By the end of 1991, however, his cancer had spread. While undergoing chemotherapy at Mission Oaks Hospital, he often visited other patients and gave them inspirational talks and comfort. He also helped form a cancer support group at the Saratoga Federated Church during this time.
Survivors include wife Gretchen Oberhauser Bell of Los Gatos; daughters Nolana Bell of Auburn, Wash., and Karen Phelps of Santa Cruz; son Kevin Bell of Los Gatos; four grandchildren and sisters Doreen Pride of Burnaby, B.C. and Charlotte Gullason of Victoria, B.C.
Memorial services have been held, with interment at Madronia Cemetery, Saratoga. Donations may be made to the Saratoga Federated Church, 20390 Park Place, Saratoga, 95070 or Young Life, 1320 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, 95125.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, July 31, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved