Obituaries
DEATHS FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:28 AM CDT
William Bell
An avid golf and tennis player, friends and loved ones of William D. “Billy” Bell said they will remember his strong desire and determination to succeed at everything he did.
Bell died Saturday at the age of 91.
Born Aug. 6, 1917, at Clovis, N.M., a son of the late Mable Thomas Bell and George Hugh Bell, Bell grew up at Little Rock and attended Little Rock Central High School and John Brown University.
Bell met and married the former Doris Jean Reichenbach in 1944 and was soon after shipped out to the Philippines to serve in the Army during World War II. He, in coordination with the state adjutant general, was instrumental in the building of the George N. Holmes Jr. National Guard Armory.
“He knew all the right people and he worked hard until he got the armory here,” said Jean Bell, his wife of 64 years.
“Billy Bell was the kind of person that had to do his own thing. He inherited the desire to be the best at everything he could do,” she said.
“He made people feel very important. He was fun and relaxed and a good athlete. Everybody that ever met him liked him.”
Mrs. Bell said that about the last 10 years her husband had been unable to walk and that she “gave up everything to take care of him.”
“The reason he lived so long, in my opinion, was the fact that we had wonderful home health and the fine doctors. They sent us to Hospice and Hospice sent him back and said he was too healthy,” she recalled.
Patsy Milligan, who worked at the Pine Bluff Arsenal and assisted Bell when he was trying to get his Purple Heart, said he was a great ambassador for Pine Bluff and the state of Arkansas.
“The dedication and contributions he made to his state and country will live on forever. I will never forget his humor and certainly his support. I know of no one who loved his country more,” she said.
“Billy never saw a flag that he didn't stop and salute and say 'this is the greatest country.' His prayer was that God would bless America and keep us safe and free from our enemies,” Milligan recalled.
Bell and his wife moved to Pine Bluff on June 11, 1950, and became the owners and operators of The Maru. They opened Billy Bell's Men Store in 1961.
Pat Drewett of Sherrill said she was blessed to have the Bells as her first employers when she was 13 years old.
“I truly learned the value of good work ethics and responsibilities plus having such great fun wrapping Christmas presents at the store,” she said.
Drewett said the Bells always treated her as one of their own and she has always cherished their love and friendship.
Bell was a member of First United Methodist Church, the Sahara Shrine Temple, Pine Bluff Rotary Club and was the president of the Senior Men's Golf Association.
Bell hit the first ball off the tee at Rosswood Country Club. He was the medalist, lowest single score on the first day of play, in the Arkansas Senior Golf Association Stoke Play Tournament in 1954 and has two holes-in-one, both on the Pine Bluff Country Club course, to his credit.
He won the Arkansas Senior Golf Association Stroke Play Tournament in 1968.
Mrs. Bell recalled the many times her husband played golf with Frank Broyles, former athletic director at the University of Arkansas.
She said Broyles said to her of her husband: “If I had a player with as much desire and determination to succeed in his whole body as Billy Bell has in one finger, I would have a champion.”
Leslie McIntyre, former owner of Eden Park Country Club and friend of Bell's, said all the times being with Bell will be a great memory.
“Billy had played tennis early in his life and joined us when he was in his 50s. Billy being such a good athlete became one of the better players with around 100 tennis players at the time,” McIntrye recalled.
“Billy made the game challenging,” he said.
Steve Arrison of Hot Springs said, “God broke the mold when he made Billy Bell.”
“Just thinking about him puts a big smile on my face. When I first moved to Pine Bluff he was one of the first people I met and helped me everyday while I was there. Golf, cards, his stories, his honesty — brutal sometimes — he was a man's man,” he said.
“He was lucky as well to have the perfect partner in Jean and he knew it.”
Memorial services for Bell will be at 2 p.m. today in the chapel of Ralph Robinson & Son Funeral Directors.
I.M. Commer
I. M. “Peewee” Commer, age 77, of Pine Bluff, died Sunday, March 15, 2009.
Also known as “Pete” to his railroad co-workers, he was born Oct. 20, 1931, at Ferda, Ark., a son of the late William J. Commer and Isla Baggarly Commer. He worked for 44 years for the Cotton Belt/Southern-Pacific Railway, serving as yardmaster and terminal superintendent in Arkansas, Texas, California, and Louisiana.
A former Scoutmaster and Little League Baseball coach, he was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, where he served as vestry member, Junior Warden, and Senior Warden.
Two brothers, the Rev. Dr. Bill Commer and Tommy Commer also predeceased him.
Survivors include his wife, June Carol Davis Commer, whom he married on Aug. 12, 1955, at Pine Bluff; sons and daughters-in-law, Jay Commer (Sonja) of Dublin, Calif., and Greg Commer (Jeannie) of Camden, Ark.; two brothers, H.T. “Pete” Commer and Jake Commer, both of Pine Bluff; a sister, Joellen Thomas of Thornburg, Ark.; and four grandchildren, Jennifer Commer, Christina Commer, Annie Commer and Gracie Commer.
Funeral services will be Thursday, 3 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church with the Rev. Dr. Cheryl Clark officiating. Interment will be in the Grace Memorial Garden by Fuller Hale-South Funeral Services.
Visitation will be today from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Please make memorials to the Building Fund at Grace Episcopal Church, 4101 S. Hazel St., Pine Bluff, Ark., 71603.
Online condolences: www.FullerFunerals.com
Claud Frank
DUMAS — Claud Theo (Jack) Frank, 87, retired bank president and Dumas civic leader, died March 16 at Delta Memorial Hospital.
Born Dec. 4, 1921, at Dumas, he was the son of the late William J. and Ethel Appleberry Frank.
Attending Dumas schools for the first 10 years, he moved with his family to Gould, where he was graduated from high school. He later completed the Louisiana State University Summer Institute of Banking.
After working for Kroger and Clower Chevrolet here, he began his long career at Merchants & Farmers Bank in 1941. Always industrious, Frank left Gould at 5:30 a.m. to ride a bread truck to Dumas, began his bank work as a janitor at 6 a.m., changed clothes and officially opened the bank at 9 a.m. “From 9 until 2 p.m., I was the teller,” he remembered. “After 2 p.m. I was the bookkeeper.” Although his day ended at 5 p.m., he sometimes had to work as late as 11 p.m. and then “catch a ride home.”
After a year at the bank, he enlisted in the Coast Guard, and until called to active duty in May 1942, he worked at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. He became a radioman, second class, and joined the USS Ricketts, destroyer escort, for trips to Africa and Europe during World War II. He was later assigned to Long Island primary radio station, New York before being discharged and returning to the bank here as assistant cashier in 1946.
Frank was promoted to cashier in 1951, was named a member of the board in 1954, and became executive vice president in 1956. He became president in 1968 and retired as president, CEO and chairman of the board in 1987. He continued as an active board member until taking senior advisory status last year.
Selected as Dumas Man of the Year in 1959, Frank held numerous roles of civic leadership. He was a past president and 40-year board member of Dumas Chamber of Commerce, and 30-year secretary of Dumas Industrial Foundation. As 40-year board member for Desha County (later Delta Memorial) Hospital, he was twice chairman. He served as junior executive committeeman Group 5 chairman, Arkansas Bankers Association, and Southeast Arkansas Chapter chairman, American Institute of Banking.
At First United Methodist Church, Frank was Sunday School superintendent for 16 years and a longtime member and former chairman of the administrative board.
An avid ham radio operator, he was assistant civil defense director. He was a dedicated board member at Desha County Museum, and past commander of the American Legion Post here. He donated over 16 gallons of blood to American Red Cross. He received the Arkansas Community Development Accomplishment Award in 1984.
Frank was predeceased by his parents; a sister, Mildred Frank; and his first wife, Amy Thompson Frank.
Surviving are his wife, Margaret Ayecock Frank, to whom he was married March 18, 2000; a daughter, Sue Frank of Little Rock; a son, Dr. Tom Frank of Jonesboro; two grandchildren, Sarah Frank of Fayetteville and Robert Frank of Little Rock; a special cousin, Olivia Rogers of Pine Bluff and many other cousins.
Visitation is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today at Griffin Funeral Chapel here.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church with Revs. Buddy Ratliff and Glenn Pettus officiating. Burial will be in Walnut Lake Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church.
Steve McField-Smith
SHERWOOD — Steve Henry McField-Smith, 71, of Sherwood died Saturday.
He was born at Belzoni, Miss., a son of the late Herman Smith and Mary Loupe.
Survivors include his wife, Ida McField; sons, Cornell McField, Timothy McField and Steven McField, all of Chicago, and Darrell McField of Sherwood; daughter, Stephanie McField of Chicago; and four grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at noon Friday at Taylor Funeral Home at Chicago. Burial will be in Burr Oak Cemetery at Chicago.
Rolean Briley of Pine Bluff died Monday at her home. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Henson Mortuary.
Pearlie Gipson, 80, of Pine Bluff died Monday. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Jerry P. Glover, 86, of North Little Rock, formerly of Pine Bluff, died Monday at Baptist Health Medical Center. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Ralph Robinson & Son Funeral Directors at Pine Bluff.
SHERRILL — Leon Harris Sr., 60, of Sherrill died Monday. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.
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