Linda Lee (Barlow) Bell

Linda Lee (Barlow) Bell died peacefully on December 22, 2015, after a valiant fight against vascular dementia.
She is preceded in death by her parents Betty and Bill Barlow. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Mike Bell, their daughters Kristy, and Karen and her husband Johnny, and their son Michael Jr. and his wife Katie. Also her brothers, Tom and Bill Barlow, and her sister Carol Huffman.
Linda was born January 6, 1947 in Kansas City, Kansas. She grew up in Overland Park, Kansas attending Bishop Miege High School. Graduated in 1964 and attended Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas.
She met her husband, Mike, when she was in 7th grade. After a wonderful courtship, they were married in June 1965 after his graduation from college and commissioning as a second lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. Upon returning from their honeymoon they departed for Quantico, VA, where Mike attended the Marine Corps Basic School.
For the next 26 years she supported her husband wherever he was assigned and set up their home over their 16 moves and raised their three children, Kristy, Karen and Michael Jr.
During the time she served at her husband's side, she actively served as a volunteer: as a Red Cross aide, volunteer for Navy Relief, Thrift Shop Manager and in almost every community served in one of the ministries of their local chapel and/or Catholic parish; including a CCD (Sunday school) teacher, leader in Children's Ministry, and Director of Religious Education.
In 1991, after her husband retired from the Marine Corps, they moved to Plano, Texas, where they lived until 2010. Linda became an active member of the Community of St Elizabeth Ann Seton and later joined the staff first in Children Ministry and later was promoted to Director of Community Life - a position that she served in for 8 years. Linda retired in July 2009
Linda enjoyed many activities including swimming, skiing (both water and snow), walking, reading, and traveling - including visiting most of the countries of Western Europe, multiple trips to Hawaii and the Far East - including Hong Kong and Okinawa. But most of all she enjoyed spending time with family and friends.
In October 2010, she and her husband moved to Whitney, Texas, and enjoyed the beauty and peace of the country and their wonderful friends in the White Bluff Communitywhere they lived until she died.
Services will be at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church 2700 W. Spring Creek Parkway Plano, Texas 75023. The Vigil is on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at 7:00pm and the Mass of the Resurrection is on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 11:00am. Interment will be at the Dallas-Ft Worth National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of Flowers donation can be made to the American Stroke Association or Providence Hospice of Whitney, TX.