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Joan Marie Bell (Heldreth) passed away peacefully in her home with her loving husband Dale at her side on April 10, 2023 after a long illness. Joan was loved by all for her kindness, generosity, selflessness and humility. She found great joy in providing for her family, friends, and acquaintances. Joan was a skilled teacher, musician, vocalist, cook, gardener, vacation planner, and seamstress among many other things. She seemed to accomplish everything effortlessly, bringing great joy to those around her. She truly loved to labor for the enjoyment of others. Joan was born in Illinois and moved to Ann Arbor, MI at the age of 3, where she grew up, married, raised a family and lived most of her adult life. After retirement she and Dale moved to Suttons Bay, MI and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and local community for many years. Joan was an active member of Memorial Christian Church in Ann Arbor and Suttons Bay Congregational Church. She enjoyed being a member of the church choirs and a soprano soloist from an early age. She also thoroughly enjoyed being in the Choral Union Choir in Ann Arbor. In high school she participated in musical theatre and played the lead in Pirates of Penzance. She enjoyed playing piano throughout her life, including accompanying her children during their instrumental performances. Joan grew up in a family of seamstresses and carried on that tradition in a loving way. She made matching outfits for her grandchildren and their dolls. She bought clothes and then made clothing to match for children so that they would have entire matching outfits and donated them to the Women’s Resource Center. Perhaps her greatest gift was making full-sized quilts for all her family members. We can only imagine the effort it took her to complete the last quilt for her youngest grandchild’s high school graduation while her dementia was setting in, her last large quilt. Joan’s love was given freely to all, but especially to children. She thoroughly enjoyed her career as an elementary teacher after receiving her Bachelor and Master degrees from the University of Michigan, which she achieved while raising two elementary-age children of her own. Joan taught early elementary education at Lawton and Thurston Elementary schools where she also met lifelong friends that she and Dale spent much of their lives enjoying activities with, like Michigan Basketball, Football, and Hockey. They had season tickets to all three. Dale’s interests were largely sports related and Joan loved to be with Dale and their friends at sporting activities. Seeing, learning and teaching about the earth’s natural wonders and everyday wonders was very important to Joan. She planned and took her students and family on multiple excursions every year to the enjoyment and enrichment of all. She was a bird lover, who took her class on a winter bird outing to Kensington Park every year and had numerous books and art work of birds in the house. Joan loved flowers. She made spectacular flower arrangements and had many flower gardens throughout her yard. Passersby often stopped to marvel at her gardens. She found lasting peace and enjoyment in her gardens well into her illness. The gifts Joan gave are in our hearts and our hands and will last many generations. We are all very grateful for her love and nurturing. She was preceded in death by her parents William and Dorothy Heldreth and her sister Dorothy (Dory) Graham. She is survived by her husband Dale Bell, children Pam (Greg) Nordhougen, Tim (Lisa) Bell, Grandchildren Christopher Nordhougen, Lauren Nordhougen, Morgan Bell and Meredith Bell. No memorial service is planned at this time. In Lieu of flowers, we invite you to make a donation to the Women’s Resource Center, 720 S. Elmwood Ste 2, Traverse City, MI 49684. Donations may also be made on their website womensresourcecenter.org

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Joan Marie Bell

January 19, 1940 - April 10, 2023