2025.12.17 THROW BACK THURSDAY - MERRY CHRISTMAS PLUS CLASS NEWS

THROW BACK THURSDAY  -   MERRY CHRISTMAS  PLUS CLASS NEWS

1955 CLASS NEWS

RICHARD BELL DIES AT 88.  TWO HEROES, RICHARD AND  BROOKS, NOW GONE.

Richard Murry "Coach" Bell, 88, was released from the bonds of earth to be welcomed into the arms of his heavenly Father on December 13, 2025, in Woodstock, Georgia, after a lifetime spent pouring himself into others as a husband, father, grandfather, coach, and friend.
Born September 2, 1937, in Camden, Arkansas, and raised in Little Rock, Richard was president of his class and a standout athlete at Little Rock Central High School. He went on to the University of Arkansas, where he earned degrees in physical education, captained Coach Frank Broyles' first Razorback team, and began to sense that coaching was more calling than career.  
Across the next four decades he became known as one of the finest defensive minds in college football-and, even more, as a "player's coach" who cared deeply about his young men. He served on staffs at Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Duke, Georgia, Air Force, and others, almost always as defensive coordinator working with linebackers and defensive backs.
At the University of South Carolina, where he was defensive coordinator and later head coach, his career was marked by righteous courage. When pressed to fire assistants he believed had not yet been given a fair chance, he refused, knowing it would likely cost him his job-an act of quiet conviction and loyalty that became legend among those who played and coached beside him.  Later, at the Air Force Academy, his 1998 defense helped the Falcons go 12–1, win the Mountain West Conference, capture the Hawaii Bowl, and finish in the national top ten; that same year he was honored as national Assistant Coach of the Year. After retiring from the college game, he wrote *Winning Defensive Football* and spent seven joyful years as defensive coordinator and middle school P.E. teacher at Prince Avenue Christian School in Athens, Georgia, where he was a mentor and spiritual grandfather to countless students.
Faith was the foundation under it all. A devoted follower of Christ, he taught Sunday school, encouraged student ministries, worshiped at Prince Avenue Baptist Church, and loved to remind his players that Faith, Fitness, Football, and Family were the true pillars of a life well-lived. He met the love of his life, Marilyn Crawford, in Little Rock, and their marriage of more than sixty years was marked by deep devotion and a home where faith and laughter were always welcome.
Coach Bell is survived by his wife, Marilyn; four children; ten grandchildren; and his brother, William Bell, and was preceded in death by his parents, Alton and Maureen Murry Bell. To know Coach Bell was to know a man of deep conviction and gentle strength-a coach who cared more about souls than stats and a servant of Jesus who finished his race with faithfulness.

Richard Bell, a captain on Frank Broyles’ first Arkansas football team who went on to have a long career as a college coach, died Saturday. He was 88.
Bell’s death at an assisted living facility in the Atlanta suburb of Woodstock, Ga., was confirmed by his son Murray.
“In my lifetime I would say he would be in the top three in terms of the man that he was, just his character and his beliefs and the way he lived his life was 

just so, so impressive,” said Tim Horton, the former Arkansas player and assistant coach who worked with Bell at the Air Force Academy from 1999-2005. 

“I would venture to say that every player who ever played for him would say the same thing.”

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Hi Marylou, and a big thank you for keeping THREEE different classes up to date on all that is happening with their previous classmates. I speak for all of us in thanking you for getting this news out to us on a weekly basis. It is definitely appreciated more than any of us could tell you.  I just started something new this past August 22, 2025, that some of these previous classmates might find interesting. I started my own live show on TICTOK! Now please don’t laugh and chuckle before I get a chance to tell you what all I do and all I have accomplished in this short few months’ time. First let me ask you to please shorten what I am about to tell you, which are really to tell you where I am today on TICTOK, now referred to as “TT”.  I am 87 years old and am the oldest live creator, (Host), on TT today that has a live show 7 days a week at 11:00am EST.I am on for a minimum of two hours a day and many days am on for over 4 hours. I am on alone for the entire time and use that time communicating with the people that are there in my “chat “room. Today I have 13.5K followers of which some 574 of them have become my “adopted grandchildren”. I have at least one grandchild in each of our 50 states and 1 adopted grandchild in 10 foreign countries, not to mention at least one adopted grandchild in 5 of the 7 continents.  One last interesting story is that my “adopted grandchild’ in Japan who worked for Lego his last 27 yeas of employment before retiring from Lego, came in to my chat about ten days ago, and we started “chatting” and the next day when he came back in, (11:00am my time and 1:00am the next morning his time), he asked me if he could custom make a Lego of me, known as “The Belt Lady” on TICTOK, at which I said of course! Well, The custom Lego model of The Belt Lady is sitting in customs in California waiting to get thru that and then thru Tariffs and should be  here at my P.O.Box this coming week of December 15th, and I will then unwrap The Belt Lady in front of my live chat the day after it arrives!!! Lots if excitement here in Florida!!  I talk of being born and raised in Little Rock very often, and it always makes me feel like I want to re-connect with some of my long-lost friends from there........

I know if you decide to print this one Thursday you will do a great job of shortening my story and give the highlights I’ve mentioned. I get much to wordy.  NO YOU DON'T, DANA.  THIS IS GOING IN WORD FOR WORD!!!!

Know you are leaving town, I think after this Thursday’s letter goes to print and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with a lot of the people you love. Wishing you and yours a very very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.  THANK YOU AND I HOPE THE SAME FOR YOU AND YOURS!

Best Regards,
Dana Lasker Robinson
Class of 55
561 691-1151

P.S. I can be reached if need be, any time after 3pm EST, seven days a week.

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Do you know why reindeers wear bells?

Because their horns don't work!!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!  

ML   

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