Captain Kevin Bell in the wheelhouse.

Captain Kevin Bell passed away January 7 in Homer surrounded by his family.  He was 53 and had been struggling with brain cancer for about a year.  Bell was a larger than life character who had sailed on the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge’s M/V Tiglax since its commissioning in 1987.  Through his intelligence, dedication, and zest Bell worked his way up from cook/deckhand to become captain of the 120 foot ship, largest in the Fish & Wildlife Service fleet. 

Over 500 mourners packed the high school auditorium for his Memorial Service on January 16 with a reception following at the Refuge’s Islands & Ocean Visitor Center.  Bell was well known in the biological community, in the seafaring community, and in the Homer community.  He was a Cub Scout leader, a coach, and a tireless advocate for youth hockey, being one of the founders of the Homer Hockey Association.

Captain Bell liked to refer to himself as “just the boat driver”, but he was never just the boat driver.  Bell was a passionate advocate for wildlife, for the work of the Refuge, and for the Aleutians.  Driven by his great curiosity about the natural world, he enthusiastically supported the scientific work conducted from his ship.  He was a great champion of people, praising and encouraging all who set foot on the Tiglax.  He particularly loved to introduce children to the Aleutians and the work of the Refuge, leading spirited school programs and Tiglax tours. 

Captain Bell received the Department of the Interior’s Honor Award for Meritorious Service signed by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and presented by Regional Director Tom Melius in 2007.  The award, one of the highest given in the department, was granted in “recognition of his many years of outstanding seamanship and exemplary support of international maritime conservation programs for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The family requests that tributes and stories of Kevin Bell be posted on his Caring Bridge web site, www.caringbridge.org/visit/kevinbell  so they may collect them for a memory book.   Memorial donations may be made to the Nature Conservancy to support one of Bell’s favorite projects, island restoration through invasive species removal.  Send donations to The Nature Conservancy,  715 L. Street, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK, 99501, indicating that the donation is for the Aleutian Seabird Restoration Project in honor of Kevin Bell.