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In Memoriam: Dr. David Bell
Office of the Dean
With sadness, we share the passing of Dr. David Bell on February 28, 2026.
David was a dedicated academic physician: a caring and committed clinician, a devoted teacher and an accomplished and productive researcher.
Born and raised in Toronto, he studied Medicine at Western University and obtained his Fellowship in Internal Medicine in 1968. After further training in Rheumatology and Immunology in Rochester, New York and La Jolla, California, David joined the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry in 1972.
His achievements were recognized by both the Canadian Rheumatology Association and the American College of Rheumatology. He served as Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and served on the Board of University Hospital as Chair of its Medical Advisory Committee.
Dave loved music, especially jazz, and he liked to play both the piano and his trumpet. He loved art and travel. Winter found him on a ski hill, the bigger the better. His favourite place to be in summer was his cottage on Muskadasa Island working on projects big or small, spending time with family and friends, playing tennis or golf or most of all going for a boat ride around Lake Muskoka especially with his grandkids. Occasionally, he’d strum on his banjo. He paid his last visit there in summer of ‘25 with the help of family and neighbours.
Dave will be missed dearly by family, friends, colleagues, learners and the countless lives he touched throughout his medical career.
Read the full obituary online via Harris Funeral Homes.