Carol Staren Bell, 90, of Houston, Texas, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2025. Born on
December 17, 1934, in LaGrange, Illinois, Carol was the beloved daughter of John and Louise
Staren. She grew up alongside her siblings—Edward, John, and Emy—all of whom have
predeceased her.
While raising her family in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Carol stayed active beyond her parenting.
She was president of the PTA at multiple schools. She passionately supported the Girl Scouts
both as a troop leader and an administrator. She was civically active in the League of Women
Voters, working to ensure voter participation, voter education and preserving voter's rights.
In 1975, Carol relocated to Houston, Texas. In her 40's she decided to return to college to
complete her degree. She graduated from Sam Houston University with a Bachelor's Degree in
Business and went on to own and operate a successful tax and bookkeeping business until she
was 85 years old.
Carol later fulfilled one of her dreams and settled in Gilchrist, Texas where she finally had the
opportunity to embrace the beach life. It was here she married Edward Bell, and together they
happily managed their beachfront property. Carol and Ed also enjoyed cruising adventures,
taking more than 20 cruises together and visiting many exciting destinations including Alaska,
the Caribbean, and the Panama Canal (which was her favorite).
Committed to her faith, Carol generously gave her time to ministries such as Walk to Emmaus,
Prison Ministry, where she introduced many inmates to Christianity, and the Prayer Shawl
Ministry, knitting with care and compassion for those facing challenging times.
Carol's enthusiasm for sports never waned. Once a fan, always a fan, she followed all her teams
from childhood through her golden years. Her affection extended to the Cubs, the Mets, the
Astros, the Rockets and multiple college teams. Her love of sports was not limited to the
mainstream sports teams as she avidly followed golf, bowling and always March Madness.
An avid reader and puzzle enthusiast, Carol was also a talented knitter, creating treasured
Christmas stockings for her expansive family. One of her favorite things to do was to take her
children and grandchildren on adventures including trips to the zoo, the beach, amusement parks
and other road trips.
Carol leaves behind her beloved daughters and their families: Donna Phillips and husband Marc
Phillips, Judith Cook and partner Mark Gladfelter, Patricia Holloway, Elizabeth McAfee, and Diane
Bashuk and husband Todd Bashuk. Her precious sixth daughter, Jane Stasney, passed away 14
years ago, which was quite devastating to Carol. Her legacy extends to 13 adored grandchildren
and their families, including 7 great grandchildren.

A celebration of Carol's life will be held at the Clarewood House Chapel on June 29, 2025, at
2:00 p.m., with a reception to follow. All who knew and loved Carol are welcome to attend.