Patricia Karen Bell, 82, of Monico, passed away after a long, hard, and courageous battle with aplastic anemia, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at Wausau Aspirus Hospital.
Patricia was born on July 1, 1944, in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, to Alby and Gertrude (Krzoska) Walentowski and was delivered by Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb. She was raised in Jennings and later in the Rhinelander area attending Pelican Lake Grade school. Pat was a 1962 graduate of Rhinelander High School. She then attended a business school in Milwaukee. Theses studies were very helpful to Pat as she found employment in banking and finance and was employed with Merchants State Bank, Marshall & Illsley Bank and BMO and later was employed and retired from Heights Finance.
Pat was united in marriage in 1967 to Thomas J. Bell. The couple were blessed with two sons, John and Matthew.
Pat enjoyed knitting, taking part in her three grandson’s activities which included snowmobile racing, stockcar racing, soccer, football, and bowling. She also enjoyed bird watching, especially finches and hummingbirds, and was always interested in wildlife in the backyard, baking sweets which included her secret recipe of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. She was also known to be a very good seamstress.
Pat attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Surviving are her two sons, John Bell of the Town of Pelican, and Matthew Bell of Eagle River, three grandsons, Braeden, Braxtin, and Trentin Bell, one brother, Phillip (Betty) Walentowski of Sturgeon Bay, and a cousin, more like a sister, Marcia Lafferty of Batavia, Illinois. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Alby and Gertrude Walentowski, and by her former husband, Thomas Bell in 1991.
The visitation for Patricia will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Hildebrand Funeral Home located at 24 E. Davenport Street, from 1:00 p.m. until the 4:00 p.m. funeral service. Chaplain John Uhlarik will officiate.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hildebrand Funeral Home & Cremation Specialists, 24 E. Davenport Street, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501, 715-365-4343. Everyone is invited to leave an online condolence at www.hildebrandrussfh.com
