Obituary of Pamela Jane Bell

PAMELA JANE BELL

Despite being born tiny and premature, five minutes after identical twin Penelope Bell, on May 7, 1949, in Hamilton, Ontario to parents Edna Gertrude and Thomas Johnston Bell, Pam developed a huge and unforgettable personality.

Pam died at home in Toronto on Oct 19, 2018, encircled with love by her husband Colin Rabnett, daughters Chloe Leonard, Julie and Gigi Rabnett (Max Kubiak), sisters Jennifer (Michael Wills) and Penny Bell, brother in law (more like husband-in-law) Jack Pasht, and loyal Jack Russell, Tommy.

Aunt (and actual second mother) to Jonas, Caley (Mark Linder), Kyra, and Aimee Bell-Pasht. Sister to T.A.C. (Tom) and Mark Bell. Aunt to Swith Bell (Geordie Dalglish), Cecily Eaton (James), and Sydney Berchtold (Marc), Sacha (Thomas Yuill), Spenser Bell (Annie), and Alexander, David and Aiden Bell. Step mom to Tim and Richard Rabnett.

Pam had a gigantic and complex personality. Earth mother, hippie, progressive, and traditionalist. Outspoken and strongly opinionated. Lover of a good argument. Remarkably talented landscape architect. Lover of trees, native plants and wildflowers. An impeccable and tasteful eye for design of all types, beauty, and colour. A passion to shop for unique and beautiful items for those she loved. Elegant, courageous, and quirky in her own unmistakable style.

Bruce Trail hiker. Art connoisseur and collector with Colin. Lover of books, history, poetry, movies, tribal rugs, great comedians, fine coffee, good scotch, good pot, ice cream, and firemen (actually all men) in uniform.

Hilarious and profane. Intrepidly aggressive driver. Grammar enforcer. No puller of punches or mincer of words. Dispenser of sage advice.

Outstanding golfer, with legendary drives from the back tees, and the ability to routinely rattle off rounds in the 70’s.

Preparing huge and wonderfully exotic family feasts for days in advance, her delight. Sharing this task, her kitchen, and recipes with countless others, her joy. Sharing a glass of wine or Hendricks gin or two, and much, much laughter, even better. True dat.

Fiercely loving mother, who adored her daughters and was adored in return by them and their countless friends. Her mantra, which she instilled in her young daughters every morning, consisted of three words: “loving, caring, sharing.” Unforgettable volunteer lunch lady, storyteller, Boggle player and ingenious craft lady at her daughters’ John Fisher Public School. Tireless producer of gourmet meals for her family. Ski mother and volunteer gatekeeper for years on many frigid racecourses in support of Julie and Gigi’s ski careers across Canada.  Lover of babies and children, always keeping a basket full of fanciful items, exceptional childrens’ books, bracelets, broken watches, wooden spoons and keys, for children to explore.

Astute editor of Penny’s stories, and lifelong half to her whole.

How incredibly lucky she was during her last two years, struggling with a glioblastoma brain tumour, to have the unfailing love and kindness of her husband Colin, faithful sisters, and extraordinary daughters.

A huge thank you to sweet and kind Dr. Paolo Mazzotta and staff from the Toronto Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care.  And a heartfelt thank-you to the indispensable Tess Mujar, who took care of Pam, her family, and Pam’s Jack Russell dog Tommy for the last year and a half.

A celebration of Pam’s life will take place at Massey College, University of Toronto, Fri. Oct. 26, 2018, at 1:30 pm.