Texas mourns a great advocate for Life with the passing of Ms. Marion Bell. Marion was a steward of the Culture of Life in Texas. Her tremendous commitment and generosity to Texas Right to Life ensured the flourishing of the Pro-Life movement over the course of many decades.
Marion was raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, and found her way to Houston with her dearly departed sister, Phyllis. Marion was a social worker at Catholic Charities, while her sister practiced law. Over the years, the sisters gave of their time, talents, and treasure to support Texas Right to Life. Marion served on the board in the 1990s and 2000s. She faithfully attended board meetings and worked to ensure the successful future of the organization.
In her dedicated service in the governance of Texas Right to Life, Marion was instrumental in transforming the oldest and largest Pro-Life organization in Texas from a group of intellectual volunteers to a professional organization with a dedicated staff of lobbyists and educators. The life-saving work that Texas Right to Life is able to accomplish today is a result of the careful architecting of committed Pro-Lifers like Marion. Texas Right to Life President Jim Graham stated:
Marion Bell was a close friend of the Texas Right to Life family and of the Graham family.
For many years, Marion guided and served Texas Right to Life as a board member and supported us as our largest financial contributor.
Over time, Marion would become a member of our family, joining us for holidays, religious celebrations, and special events for the Pro-Life movement and for Texas Right to Life.
While we will tremendously miss Marion personally and organizationally, we now have a powerful advocate who is with our Lord and also with all those who she saved and helped through her life of prayer and service.
Marion Bell, rest in peace.
In 1999, Marion and Phyllis traveled to Dallas with Texas Right to Life and met with then-governor George Bush. The sisters urged the governor to clear the logjam in the Capitol to ensure the passage of the first-ever parental notification law. And the law did indeed pass just two weeks later.
One aspect that truly set Marion apart was her understanding of the organizational need for financial support. Year after year, Marion generously invested in Texas Right to Life to make certain our doors did not close and that our flame of Life was not extinguished.
Her enduring legacy is one of service and generosity. For years, Marion (and Phyllis) donated more than anyone else in the entire state to Texas Right to Life. She was far from the wealthiest Texan, but she very well may have been the most generous Canadian.
For her dedicated service and generous gifts, Marion never asked for anything in return, except to remain anonymous. Texas Right to Life respected her anonymity until last fall, when she was honored with the first-ever Faithful Steward Award at the 2016 Celebration of Life.
Marion’s quiet perseverance in the service of the Pro-Life movement will be greatly missed. Texas Right to Life is forever grateful for her stewardship. We find hope in the thought that she and her beloved sister Phyllis are reunited and assisting our cause from above.