Bob Bell Obituary:
Each year, Bob organized the WormSoakers fishing group which has hosted a fishing trip in Northern Wisconsin for 26 years. He served as President, CEO, CFO and official “Big Worm” of the club. The WormSoakers proceeds were donated to breast cancer research. He actively supported Coon Creek Casters, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Rock Valley Anglers and various outdoor and recreation groups. Bob’s connection to Rockford area social and civic groups was too extensive to catalog. Groups included the Rockford Cosmopolitan, Venetian, LLL and Lombardi Clubs.
Bob was instrumental in raising funds and building the accessible fishing pier operated by the Rockford Park District. He started and continued to organize the Annual Fishing Garage Sale to support the pier, and later to support scholarships for local high school fishing club members.
Anyone who knew Bob knew how important fishing was to him. He spent almost as much time in Wisconsin lakes as he did in Illinois, and he made at least one fishing trip to Sandy Beach Lodge in Canada every year. When Bob was home, he loved his extensive garden and his colorful bird feeders.
One memorable legacy is the gift Bob gave to his children and grandchildren: for 25 years they spent a week in Wisconsin every year to fish, swim, and relax as a big family. When he was not on the road, he made it a priority to spend time with a regular breakfast club and several weekly lunch buddies. Not many people keep friends from high school into their 70’s, but Bob did. His longest-running friendship was with Gary Witkowski, who worked with Bob at the Piggly Wiggly when they were both 15 years old.
After graduating Rockford East High School, Bob took a job with Special Machine Co. He was proud of his work as a machinist and enjoyed playing in a local softball league. In 1976 he started his second career in insurance. He started with Aetna, then Camlin Insurance Agency, and finally launched Robert C. Bell Insurance in 2002.
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