Winifred Bell

Winifred "Winnie" Bell was born the second of seven children to the late Lucy Jane Ferguson Banks and Wilfred Barrington Ferguson, Sr. on May 30, 1938 in Boston, MA. Educated in the Boston and Everett School system she graduated from Girls' High School, Roxbury, MA in 1957. Winnie was baptized in 1954 at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Malden MA by the late Rev. Earl W. Lawson.

After graduating high school she did clerical work at John Hancock Insurance Company in Boston. Later she changed her career focus and became the second Black female Air Traffic Controller with the federal government. After leaving her job as Air Traffic Controller she worked for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) driving the Orange Line Trains. She later retired from this position.

Winnie was an avid shopper and spent many hours in the stores buying and returning "STUFF" that didn't work once she got it home. If you shopped with her she would even try to use your name because the stores were asking for her ID threatening to keep her from returning things.

Although she was not formerly listed as a member of a church, Bell loved the Lord and attended church regularly. She was able to find that "peace that passeth all understanding" before God took her home.

She was preceded in death by sisters, Raushana Shabazz of Muncie, Indiana, Sinia Watson of Newark NJ. and brother Wilfred B. Ferguson, Jr. Also foster siblings: Carl T. Walker, Lorraine Andrews King and Janice OwensBell leaves to mourn her passing three sons, Stacey Ferguson, James Gregory Bell and Jeffrey Leone Bell. Grandsons, Justin Brightman, Aaron and Elijah John. Sisters, Beverly A. Dinkins, (Frank) and Dorothy Y. Ferguson-Greene (Joseph - deceased) of Malden, Brother, Barney "Butchie" S. Wilkinson of Randolph. Also, foster sisters Gloria Fox, Dorothy Gomez and Louise Andrews. A host of great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.