George Alonzo Bell, Jr. was born on September 8, 1924 in Mustang, Texas, to Effie Mae (Brown) and George Alonzo Bell, the third of the Bell's eight surviving children. The family moved many times during those difficult years, eventually moving to Carlsbad, New Mexico, where he graduated high school in 1941. He would often tell stories of his two best friends from high school, Scott and Phil, calling these some "golden years" in his memory.

Scott and George moved to Lubbock, Texas together to enter Texas Tech, but George couldn't find the money for tuition, so he went to work at the Lubbock Air Force Base, that was being constructed at the time.

Then came Pearl Harbor, and George and his friend went to California. By that summer Scott had joined the Air Force. George wanted to enlist, as well, but not being yet 18, he needed permission from his father, who would not sign his approval, so he signed up as a Coast Guard watcher, patrolling a twenty mile stretch of the California coast, often on horseback or with a canine partner.

In March of 1943 he was finally called up for active duty with the Coast Guard, which was then part of the Navy. He served on many missions in the Pacific as a Gunner's Mate 2c on the LST 205, an amphibious ship, where his service entitled him to the Asiatic Ribbon with 2 Bronze Stars, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 2 Bronze Stars.

After being decommissioned in 1946, George wound up back in Carlsbad, where he met and married his first wife, Mary Ann Edwards. Together they had two children. All three precede him in death.

George entered the University of Texas in Austin in 1947, originally choosing a pre-law program, but a summer session class in geology changed those plans and the course of his life, making his career in geology and petroleum exploration as a well-respected geophysicist.

A series of assignments with several oil and gas companies followed, taking George and his family to places like Sumatra, Indonesia, Libya and Turkey. Mary Ann's health brought them back to New York, where she died shortly after their return.

George met Violet Marie Palinkas Voytko on the coffee line at Amoseas where they both worked. They married on July 10, 1965. George would later write to his family that she was his "best friend and love" and that he "hoped all of you have such happy marriages." To their blended family, including Violet's daughters Paula and Andrea, they welcomed Emily in 1966, and Jennifer in 1972.

The family continued the overseas tradition, taking assignments in Spain, Australia and Norway, where he was a contributor to the founding of Statoil, the State Oil company of the country.

In 1979, George joined Amoco, and the family came home to the United States and settled in Houston.

With Amoco he was assigned to head the company's efforts in China. In 1984, George was made the Exploration Manager for Europe, Latin America and the Far East, in addition to his duties with China.

George retired from British Petroleum (formerly Amoco) in 1994 at 70 and enjoyed many years with Violet and his children, welcoming sons-in-law and grandchildren to the family. Violet passed away after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer in December of 2003.

Diagnosed with congestive heart failure shortly before his retirement. Despite the odds, with the love and support of family, friends and kind caregivers and attentive medical personnel, George continued to live in the home he shared with his beloved wife, until passing peacefully on March 16, surrounded by the family he dearly loved and who loved him.

George is survived by his siblings Gerald (Sarah) and Joyce and spouse, and his daughters Paula Voytko, Andrea Worker and spouse Sean, Emily Whitton and spouse Adam Colyer, Jennifer Garcia and spouse Andrei: grandchildren George Andrew Bell, Natalie Whitton, and Xandor Garcia, and great grandchildren Addison, Evan and Olivia Bell.  He also leaves daughters-in-love, Susan Iovieno-Sunar, Colleen Hodges (Michael), Amy Geallis (Andrew), sister-in-law Barbara and many cousins nieces and nephews whom he spoke of and thought of often.

He will be much missed.

There will be a "Celebration of Life" for George Alonzo Bell, Jr. at the Klein Funeral Home on Champion Forest Dr. at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, March 21 and a burial service at the Houston National Cemetery at 11:00 am on Thursday, March 22 to be followed by a gathering at the family home.