MATERNAL NAMES
KELVIN DARCY JOHN BELL 1928-1981
Kelvin Darcy John Bell, named for his paternal grandfather and father, also received the name Darcy, which he would use. He experienced familial affection and aspirations, much like many young men, before his life ended, when he was in the prime of his life. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, October 1, 1928, the first child of Kelvin Bell and Lilly McEwan.
Named for his paternal grandfather and father, they also gave him the name of Darcy, which would be the name he would use. As all young men, he would also face choices which would determine his future.
His sisters included Penelope Frances Bell (Chosen Child) (1942-1945), as well as two others who were born after he left home. These sisters are still living. His eldest sister died in a tragic accident before her third birthday.
Pride and joy of the young couple Darcy grew into a fine young man. For many years, he would be an only child, while, try as they might, his parents had no more children.
His father, having come from a family less fortunate, still expected the young man “to pull his weight”, so one summer during the school break, Darcy took a job picking fruit in the Niagara Region. The lanky youth ate more than the rest one could imagine, my mother recounted, to keep up his energy for the gruelling job. She spoke of a daily train that took workers from Toronto to the Niagara region to pick fruit and intimated that Darcy used this train to go to his job. I could not find it.
He might have taken the weekly train and stayed at my mother’s cousin’s home during the week, returning on Friday evenings.
In 1942, Kelly and Lilly decided that since no children were forthcoming, they would adopt. Darcy was fourteen. The process moved along and in 1943 they chose the little girl they wanted to complete the family. She came home as an infant, but they did not complete the adoption until 1945. It must have been difficult to accept a new child after being an only child for fifteen years, yet my mother never mentioned he acted out..
He continued to do well in school and took part in family outings. However, I sense he might have had an adventuresome side as well.
Once highschool finished, he chose not to pursue further studies. Instead, he opted for a place in the job market. Was this his actual choice or did circumstance cause him to rethink his young life?
First Marriage
Soon after his senior year, in 1948, Darcy married Zilda Lunney, highschool sweetheart. The couple moved out on their own and soon after had a baby boy. The marriage was not a success for the two and not long after the birth of their child, they separated and eventually divorced. They both would remarry and have second families.
Second Marriage
The 1957 voter’s list has Darcy listed as a purchasing agent and living on Fielding Avenue in Toronto’s East York. He is living with Frances Joy Parmeter and his future mother-in-law, Eddytha Parmeter.
On February 6, 1958, Darcy married Frances Joy Parmeter. The couple knew one another for several years prior to the marriage, and would eventually have five children together.
They bought a small bungalow on Mossbank Avenue in Scarborough, Ontario. Joy’s mother lived in an apartment in the basement.
Darcy’s father passed away February 6, 1978 in St. Petersburg, Florida when Darcy was 49. His parents were at their winter home. It would not be long before he would join his father, but that was unknown, as he was healthy at the time of his father’s death.
The family remained in Scarborough until 1968 until they left Toronto and move north to a small town near Sudbury. At this point, Darcy was working for Inco Mines in their laboratory. He remained working there and also with his wife Joy in publishing a community newspaper until his death in 1981.
The young father of six children passed away January 14, 1981, leaving his widow and children to mourn his death. The family buried Darcy at Maple Crest Cemetery, Dowling, Greater Sudbury Municipality, Ontario, Canada.
Citations
(1) B. 1928 Bell Kelvin Darcy John Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Seventh Census of Canada, 1931; Folder Number: T-27304; Census Place: Toronto-Scarborough, Ontario, Canada; Page Number: s
(2) M.1948 Bell Darcy/Lunney Zelda
(3) Voters List 1957 Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980
(4) M.1958 Bell Darcy/ Parmeter Frances Joy
(5) D.1981 Bell Kelvin Darcy John Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
(6) Bur. Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
(7) http://www.trainweb.org/elso/nsthist3.htm https://transittoronto.ca/regional/4756.shtml https://transittoronto.ca/photos/regional-transit-photo-gallery/oshawa-railway/oshawa-railway-1940.html. https://torontorailwaymuseum.com/