Tony Bell died on May 19, 2019 from pneumonia and other health issues. He was born on September 12, 1935 in Copenhagen, Denmark to Art and Ragnhild Bell. In 1948, he sailed on the HMS Batory with his parents to the United States. His father landed a mechanical engineering job at Johns Manville Corporation in New Jersey. In 1951, they considered moving back to Denmark but decided to drive to Los Angeles where they had been invited to visit Danish friends. They discovered the Danish community of Solvang, California and ended up settling there with Art taking a job with Johns Manville in nearby Lompoc.

Tony entered Santa Ynez Valley Union High School that fall where he met his future wife, Karen Strandskov. He joined the Solvang Folk Dancers who practiced weekly at the old gym adjacent to Atterdag College, now the site of Atterdag Village Retirement Community, reportedly so he could spend time with Karen. He participated in numerous Danish Days performances with that group, often doing the famous "Ox Dance" with friend Andy Andersen.

Following his graduation from UC Santa Barbara, Tony and Karen were married in 1958 at Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang. He taught World History and English at SYVUHS for two years and then returned to UCSB to obtain a master's degree. The first two of their sons were born in CA before the family moved to Eugene, OR for Tony's graduate studies, where their third son was born. Tony then went to the University of Texas, Austin to complete his Ph.D. in Sociology.

He joined the faculty as a professor in the sociology department at Cal State University, Fullerton in 1968, and the family became members of Lamb of God Lutheran Church in Anaheim. He began by teaching Introduction to Sociology and Complex Organizations before he introduced the at-the-time innovative new courses of Death and Dying, Women in Society, and Gender Roles. His Death and Dying courses, in particular, were perennially over-enrolled. He also was an early proponent of the Hospice movement. He accepted two terms as chairperson for the sociology department and served as undergraduate advisor.

He retired in 2005, continuing to teach half-time for seven years. In the spring of 2007 Tony taught classes in London with a study-abroad program for American students. He joined Osher Lifelong Living Institute on campus and lectured on favorite topics from his career. In his final years he gathered a large library on the history and origin of fairy tales and shared this knowledge through OLLI classes.

He had a great interest in trains, big and model-sized, which began as a child riding on railroads in Denmark. He even accepted the offer to operate the throttle of a locomotive with his real-life engineer "Morfar" (mother's father). He and Karen enjoyed several trips to Denmark and other European countries, plus cruises with close friends. Other pleasures included visits back to Solvang and games of Pinochle.

Everyone who knew Tony appreciated his way of making others feel comfortable, his ever-present sense of humor, his love of hosting parties big and small, and his sense of playfulness that especially was on display with his grandchildren. Tony takes to the grave the name of the winner of the "favorite-daughter-in-law" competition among his sons' wives.

Tony leaves behind his wife of 60 years' marriage, Karen Adrian Bell and their sons Erik (Debbie), Alan (Anne), and Carlo (Aimee). Also mourning the loss of their "farfar" (father's father) are grandchildren Keely, Connor, Emma, Kate, Tyler, Landon, and Logan.

Memorial services are June 6, 2019 at 2:00 PM, Bethania Lutheran Church, 603 Atterdag Road, Solvang, CA 93463 and June 8, 2019 at 2:00 PM, Messiah Lutheran Church, 4861 Liverpool Street, Yorba Linda, CA 92886. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to ELCA World Hunger, at P.O. Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009; or online: ELCA.org/hunger/donate , or to your charity of choice, in Tony's name.

Arrangements under the direction of Chapman Funeral Homes - Terry & Mary Harmon, Funeral Directors. Toll free (855) 628-0447.

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Obituary notice for Chapman Funeral Homes. Please visit www.chapmanfuneraldirectors.com .

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