Shirley Faye Mayfield Bell, 91, of Whitesville, KY, peacefully passed away on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. She was born on March 3, 1935, to the late Lamar Mayfield and Frances Thomas Mayfield. She graduated from Owensboro High School in 1953, where she was also a Rose Curtain Player.
As a lifelong lover of reading, Shirley (and her husband, Ed) was no stranger to the library. She read several books a week; whether it was nonfiction or a good mystery, she was always eager to learn something new. Beyond reading, she was a very capable writer herself. Journaling every day, writing short stories, or storytelling with her grandchildren at sleepovers—her imagination knew no boundaries.
Anyone who knew Shirley was aware of her deep love for gardening and her status as a certified Master Gardener. While Ed tended to the vegetable garden, her passion was her English gardens, drawing inspiration from their many travels across Europe. She hosted annual garden parties to showcase her work, was an active member of the local garden club, and most certainly passed her green thumb down to her children.
When she wasn’t gardening or reading, Shirley loved to paint. She would have referred to herself as an amateur, but anyone lucky enough to see her work knew she was just being humble. Not only was her home filled with her artwork, but her home itself became a canvas; she painted her hallway walls to look like an old castle and adorned the backs of her bathroom doors with murals. Her family has been blessed with an abundance of her creative work.
While Shirley was never short on hobbies, she also held a deep love for the Lord that shone through in everything she did. Her
love extended into dedicated community service. She served as the first female deacon at Third Baptist Church of Owensboro, where she was also very active in Sunday school, taught English as a Second Language to Burmese refugees, and volunteered with the Boulware Mission. Through the Friendship Force, her family also warmly opened their home to international exchange programs. When Ed and Shirley’s grandchildren came along, they never missed an opportunity to teach them the value of service, bringing them along to Upward Basketball, the voting polls, Vacation Bible School, or volunteering them for manual labor around the farm. Shirley truly had the heart of a servant.
Shirley Mayfield Bell did not miss out on anything in this life. She was constantly surrounded by loved ones, and while she loved a good social event, she also knew the beauty of walking her gardens alone or watching the hummingbirds out the window during a quiet breakfast. She is now walking the eternal gardens of Heaven.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 67 years, Edward Bell, in 2023, and her brother, Larry Mayfield.
She is survived by her daughters, Leigh Bell Vancil (Rodney) of Owensboro, KY, and Valerie Bell Chew (Keith) of Whitesville, KY; her son, Christopher Bell of Chattanooga, TN; her grandchildren, Baxter Bell of Chattanooga, TN, Chandler Bell (Lorraine) of Nîmes, France, Max Bell of Chattanooga, TN, Griffin Vancil (Rachel) of San Diego, CA, Alex Mitchell of Owensboro, KY, Olivia Vancil (Dillon) of Owensboro, KY, and Nicholas Vancil (Brandy) of Lynchburg, VA; and her great-grandchildren, Adam Vancil, Amaius Bell, Marshall Sanders, Castille Jean Bell Lescure, Miles Sanders, and Josiah Vancil. She is also survived by her brother, Jerry Mayfield (Marylyn) of Paris, KY, and her sister, Janet Mayfield Gardner (Jack) of North Carolina.
Private services are scheduled for a later date.