Sidney Bell
1986 – 2024

Sidney William lived life fully everyday. His smile lit up a room and his laugh was unforgettable. As a small child he would belly laugh in his sleep. He never lost that laugh throughout his whole 38 years on earth. He loved people and getting to know them. He had a positive supportive attitude for everyone. This was particularly evident whenever someone would go somewhere with Sidney, he would inevitably run into someone he knew. Even when you would travel to a different state! He would also run into people he knew when he was an inpatient at the hospital!

Sidney had an amazing quick wit that would often catch many people by surprise. They would figure it out after he had landed his witty comment and realize that he had gotten them!

Sports: part of living life fully for Sidney was to try all kinds of different sports. A sport for every season of the year.
Sidney had terrific eye hand coordination and was athletically gifted. He played basketball for years and even landed a game winning 3 point shot at a very young age because he had the presence of mind to look down and step behind the 3 point line as the last few seconds of the game were counting down. The shot was “nothing but net”! The crowd cheered and his team all converged on him with cheers and congratulations! Pretty sure Sidney was thinking about what his hero Michael Jordan would do at that moment. Sidney always wore Air Jordan basketball shoes when playing basketball. Sidney had a liver transplant at 9 years old on December 28, 1995 and the surgeons arranged for him to attend the Chicago Bulls vs the Minnesota Timberwolves game in February 1996. VIP seats for two (Sidney and Mom went).

He played Varsity Tennis in High School and often played tennis for fun with friends and family in his adult years.

He was an excellent golfer (he loved playing golf and would often play barefoot). His favorite golf course was Clifton Highlands in Clifton Twp, Wisconsin. But, you could always find Sidney happy to play any golf course with you. A 300 to 300+ yard shot was something he did often.

Sidney was also a powerful swimmer (often utilizing weights and hand paddles in the water). He would swim one lap with just his arms and the return lap with just his legs.

He was a talented snowboarder. In true Sidney style, he took “trick snowboarding” as a college elective class for college credit.
He went snowboarding regularly at Afton Alps, but also took snowboarding trips to Northern, MN and Wisconsin, and to Big Bear in California and Vail in Colorado. Of course he did the black diamonds. Sidney knew how to ski as well, but he preferred snowboarding. He went bodysurfing in the Pacific Ocean and hiked the Red Rocks out west.

Sidney played Hockey for fun and would often play “catch the sliding hockey puck” with just him and his golden retriever “Atlas” at the Woodridge Park ice rink.

Sidney was also an amazing weightlifter and a skilled pickleball player. He kept a very regular schedule at Lifetime Fitness in Woodbury for weightlifting, pickleball and sauna. One week before Sidney went to the hospital for the last time, he was bench pressing 220 pounds.

Avid sports car, truck, 4-wheeling, vintage car, vintage pick up truck, motorcycle enthusiast: Sidney loved to customize each vehicle he had. He loved to go fast. He had the “need for speed”.

Work: Sidney worked as a blackjack dealer at Treasure Island while attending college. He could really shuffle cards in many fancy ways and of course converse with players where they would continue to play his table. He learned the game well and would play blackjack at other casinos and win big! After college, Sidney went to work at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center first in SPS and then in Medical Surgical supply.

Loved by so many people, Sidney’s Celebration of Life had over 300 people in attendance from all walks of life and all ages. He touched so many people in so many positive ways. We miss him everyday and carry him in our thoughts and hearts everyday. We continue to try to follow his lead and strive to live life fully.