Bruce MacMillan Bell of Hamden passed away on June 23, 2020 at Yale-New Haven Hospital after a long struggle with pneumonia. Bruce was the beloved son of Richard G. and Anne W. Bell of Hamden. He is survived by his parents and by his sister, Allison Bell of Whately, Massachusetts, and his brother, Richard Bell Jr. of Anchorage, Alaska.
Bruce was born at Yale-New Haven in 1963. In his youth he was a skillful soccer player and gifted downhill skier. He delighted in outdoor activities: hiking in the Adirondacks, fly fishing for trout, and extended horseback trips in the wilderness areas of Colorado and Montana with members of his family. He had many friends and a successful start in school. However, his early promise was crushed when he was stricken with schizophrenia in 1979, at the age of 16. He courageously fought this awful scourge for the rest of his life, even to the end.
The family is grateful for the care and treatment he received from the Hamden Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, his last residence. Sincere thanks are due to the nurses and medical staff of Yale-New Haven's St. Raphael campus for their compassionate care, concern and support during Bruce's last days.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to BHcare , 127 Washington Avenue, North Haven, CT 06473. Funeral arrangements will be private and in care of Beecher & Bennett, 2300 Whitney Avenue, Hamden.