A quiet, simple member of The Greatest Generation has left us, and, while life goes on, the world will be a little less without him in it.

James Edward "Ed" Bell, 89, died April 10, 2016. He was born on March 18, 1927 in Choctaw County, AL, but called Pensacola home in his heart for 47 years. He served two churches during those years - First Baptist Pensacola and Hillcrest Baptist - where he leaves behind many dear friends in both places.

What some may not know about Ed was that, at only 17, he got his mother to sign for him to join the Navy during WWII. That young man went on to know the terrors of war when, after a kamikaze attack on his ship left him with no refuge from the enemy, he was captured at sea. Held, and tortured daily, by the Japanese in what can only be described as unspeakable horror, Ed managed to survive by eating crickets he was forced to pick off of plants in rice fields. When the Allied Forces won the war, Ed was released. His fortitude and sense of survival had sustained him.

Although painfully thin and battered, Ed returned to the US and re-enlisted in the Navy, ultimately making the historic expedition, Operation Highjump, to the South Pole with Admiral Richard Byrd.

Putting the war behind him, Ed discovered happier years ahead when he met the love of his life, Margaret Anne, whom he was devoted to. They married in 1955. Ed bid Margaret Anne goodbye from his hospital room, 61years to the date of their wedding, this past Sunday.

Like many young couples of their time, Ed and Margaret struggled to build a life together in very poor circumstances in Mississippi. Both had come from broken homes, but they were determined to have a good marriage and raise a family. They welcomed a daughter, Angela, into the world and later a son, Dick.

When a job opportunity presented itself in Pensacola, the family moved to the Gulf Coast. Ed became an electrical supervisor and worked in that field until his retirement. He returned to the thing he loved most - gardening. How many, many people have enjoyed Ed's tomatoes, pear preserves, peas, and cornbread! He fed anybody that was hungry, joined the Gideons, worked in funeral homes, served as a deacon in church, and dropped everything to help friends, family, and anyone who looked like they needed help. He had a simple servant's heart.

Ed had a wicked, dry sense of humor and appreciated a good joke. What wasn't funny, and what we have come to believe, decades later, is that Ed's torturous days as a POW impacted him in ways that people now describe as PTSD. He refused to speak of what happened to him during WWII until he had a grandson. It was only then that he began to open up more, but only slightly, about what he had overcome. He believed with all his heart in Duty, Honor, Country, and he passed that allegiance on to his family.

His wife, Margaret; daughter, Angela (Richard); son, Dick; beloved grandchildren, Meredith and Nate; sisters, Evelyn and Mary; and extended family are missing him already. We prepare to say goodbye to a man who was devoted to taking care of his family, friends, and others. He loved God and country. He believed in the goodness of the Earth and what hard work could produce. He had helping hands and a willing heart and, with his passing, he leaves behind a legacy of goodness, devotion, patriotism, and honor.

Visitation will be held 2-4pm Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. Funeral Service will be held 10am Thursday, April 14, 2016 at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery with Navy Honors.