On July 25, 2022, Mary Bell Howser passed away peacefully at her home, making her family, friends and caregivers laugh throughout her illness with "one liner's" as only she could deliver. She lived a full and wonderful life filled with both challenges and enormous blessings.

Mary Bell was born Mary Virginia Bell on October 8,1933 in Baltimore, Maryland. She grew up on the family farm with her parents Arthur I. Bell, Sr. and Leah Radcliffe Bell and her brother Arthur I. Bell, Jr. Her father was a local dentist as well as a farmer. She herself became a Dental Assistant to another local dentist, Donald Hobbs. She attended Garrison Forest School for eight years before graduating from Milford Mill High School.

She met the love of her life, (the late) William (Bill) L. Howser at a University of Maryland dance hosted by her brother's and Bill's fraternity (Alpha Gamma Rho). They married a year later, on November 14,1953 and were married for 63 years experiencing all that life offered before his death on January 2, 2017.

When they married in 1953, they chose to have an afternoon tea as their reception, deciding to save the remaining budgeted money. Not long after, this decision would prove pivotal in their shared journey together as husband and wife. After living on her salary as Dental Assistant of fifty dollars a week and what Bill made selling China door-to-door, Bill was given the chance to work as a salesperson at The Harrison Lumber Company of Baltimore and then to establish The Ridge Lumber Company with John Penniman and Alfred Krastel. Mary Bell and Bill chose to take the money that remained from their wedding and invest in the start-up of The Ridge Lumber Company so they could join John and Al in this new adventure that would change all their lives.

Bill would go on to one day become President of The Ridge Lumber Company and Mary Bell would raise their four children and explore her creative talents and interest with the loving support of her husband. As a new bride she could barely cook. In time and with Bill's encouragement she became a fabulous cook. Her family shared weekly Sunday dinners, created special memories with holiday celebrations passed down through generations. It gave her immense joy to share recipes, cooking hints and provide cooking lessons. It was her sincere desire to pass these recipes down to generations of family and friends. When cooking, her kitchen was not only filled with wonderful smells but the sounds of Patsy Cline, Anne Murray and Elvis Presley gospel music.

She also shared her love of flowers and flower gardens with Bill, and she became an award-winning floral designer and President of the Stevenson Garden Club. During this time, she was honored that her floral creations were placed in the Maryland State House.

In the early 1980's she established, owned, and operated "Down Memory Lane" a local antique store based in Lake Falls Village, Mt Washington. Down Memory Lane was known for its antiques acquired from Europe, homemade soup mixes and varied jams. Upon retirement, while spending winters in Sarasota Florida she explored watercolor painting and became an award-winning professional watercolor artist.

While Mary Bell's love of family was the center of her life, she also desired to "Let's just have fun!".  Throughout her marriage she and Bill had fun entertaining, dancing, travelling, bird watching, playing, and watching sports as well as sharing a mutual love of animals. They both enjoyed playing golf and tennis in which she possessed the art of a "wicked' lob.

After Bill's death, her enjoyment of NASCAR was reignited. When asked by her daughter Elizabeth, why she was watching NASCAR, she said "well I grew up with it in a way. Art and I would go to the dirt track as teenagers, it was fun. I am fascinated by the strategy of it." Sundays were often spent watching the latest PGA golf tournament and NASCAR race.

During Baltimore Ravens Football seasons she loved to host the "girls only" game watching club in her basement complete with everyone's favorite game day snacks. She knew a great deal about the game and players (her favorite player was Tight End Mark Andrews who she affectionally referred to as "jumper"). When asked why it was a "girls only" day she said jokingly with a smile and a glint in her eye, because "men talk too much." She was serious about her Ravens, claiming those Sundays were her favorite time of year. In September and October, watching the games were shared with two favorite foods, cracking crabs, and Baskin-Robbin's Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream. During the week she would play bridge with her friends as well as go out to lunch, treasuring the special moments with whomever she was with.

Finally, she enjoyed sharing her life's stories with her own personal style and humor as only she could. She felt strongly that her family and friends should know the stories of the generations before them and the significant role that they played in her life as well as the foundation they laid for those who were to follow.

Mary Bell is survived by Susan Howser Kershaw (Jay Kershaw) of Sarasota Florida, William Sellman Howser (Wendy Howser) of Jarrettsville Md, David Lovell Howser (Kris Braun Howser) of Freeland Maryland, and Elizabeth Radcliffe Howser (James Nitzberg) of Timonium, Md, and Cristian Tanasescu (Mary Tanasescu) of Essex, Md. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law Florence Bell, Peggy Corum and Barbara Matthews, nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and her beloved cat Misty.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Bill, her parents Arthur I. Bell, Sr. and Leah Bell, her stepmother Sally Bell, and brother Arthur I. Bell, Jr., and her in-laws G. Sellman and Celeste Howser, her sister-in-law Celeste Causey and brothers-in-law Clark Causey, JC Corum and Samuel Freeman, as well as her beloved dog, Penny.

Her family asks that you join them in celebrating Mary Bell's life on this earth and the beginning of her eternal life at her memorial service to be held on Saturday August 13, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 120 Allegheny Avenue, Towson Md 21204. Her service will also be televised on Trinity's YouTube channel (Trinity Church Towson) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuYhuH-V-Ns9DLW-X8-SKaA

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary Bell's name to Trinity Episcopal Church of Towson.