The wife of a teacher who inspired generations to get into business and lifted the spirits of the elderly and the ill through his faith says she will miss her husband of 50 years.
Well known Enniskillen man William Bell was much loved by very many, not least his wife Lorna whom he was always looking out for, even right up to his death on July 26 at 87.
“He always had my interests at heart. As someone said recently, we were like two peas in a pod,” said Mrs. Bell. “He was always kind and thoughtful. He never really thought of himself, if I was happy he was happy. The sky was the limit, if you wanted something he’d go and get it,” she told The Impartial Reporter.
The couple were due to celebrate their Golden Anniversary in October and were planning on holding a celebration for their family.
“We had a very happy marriage; we went everywhere together. If you saw one, you saw the other. We loved to have coffee up at Jolly Sandwich in Darling Street, it was the highlight of the week, Tuesday and Saturday, right up until the Saturday before he went into hospital.”
They say the best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see. For over 26 years, William motivated his students at Fermanagh Technical College teaching them important lessons about business and life.
As Mrs. Bell explained, her husband enjoyed meeting a lot of his former students when he visited the town “and they all had a good chat for him”, she explained.
“I was proud of him, he didn’t spare himself, he worked for the students and was delighted to meet them. He had a great memory, he remembered their names, who they sat beside, he knew every one of his students by name. He always had a wee thought of the week for them,” she said.
The couple enjoyed visiting nursing homes in Florenceoucrt, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen and Irvinestown where William, who came to know the Lords Jesus Christ as his personal saviour and lived to prove the reality of his conversion, read and prayed with residents, and sang hymns.
“They watched for you coming, they’d maybe confide in you, or maybe wanted a plant watered. He felt that was part of his ministry, especially when he retired, to bring a bit of comfort to people in their latter years.
“Not everybody could do that, it came naturally to him. Every Monday morning at half ten he would have gone to the old Erne Hospital too. He did that faithfully.”
William was born in Belfast, the youngest of a family of four. His father was in the Royal Navy and later a footwear merchant in Belfast. 
When he was three months old his father died, leaving his mother the hard task of rearing a young family. This was followed quickly by William suffering a serious illness which prevented him commencing school until he was almost eight and a half years old.
Following his public elementary school days, William attended a commercial college in Belfast. The course of two years included subjects such as accounts, office practice, shorthand and typewriting.
Hoping to further his career, William then took up a position in the famous shipbuilding and engineering company Harland and Wolf working under the company secretary and chief accountant, respectively. He thoroughly enjoyed this work, through which he gained valuable experience and broadened his outlook.
Before entering the teaching profession, William attended evening classes at Belfast College of Technology and later at London College.
He was then appointed a lecturer in Enniskillen Technical College as it was known in 1965 and his Business Methods Room was formerly the condemned cell of the old Gaol.
Upon successful completion of his examinations, coupled with the necessary and relevant business experience, William obtained his professional qualifications, by being elected an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators (A.C.I.S.). 
He had studied law, economics, accountancy, taxation, office management, etc. William was elected a Fellow of the Society of Commercial Teachers (F.S.C.T.) shortly after entering teaching, and this was followed by obtaining membership of the Institute of Administrative Management (M.Inst.A.)
William was correspondent and elder at Ballinamallard Gospel Hall for many years.
Mrs. Bell says she will miss him.
“I will miss him greatly for he was always my supporter and encourager, we went everywhere together as a couple.”
Mr. Bell is survived by two sister-in-laws, Flo Moore and Joan Moore, and nephews and nieces. 
Mr. Bell’s funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr. Austen Stintson of W.T. Morrison.