Dell Bethel's Obituary
FLAG
Dell Bethel, 78, of North Ridgeville died Thursday June 26, 2008 at Harborside Healthcare Center, Westlake following a short illness.
Mr. Bethel had been a resident of North Ridgeville since 1974, moving from New Jersey.
Dell "Big Bear" Bethel was a pitcher for the New York Giants from 1950-1951 who was noted for his fastball which neared 100mph. He left the Giants in 1951 to serve his country in the US Army, being drafted for the Korean War. He served as a machine gunner in a Ranger battalion on Old Baldy hill, where he was badly wounded due to an artillery barrage. Mr. Bethel received two Bronze Service Stars and a Purple Heart. He then returned to the Giants and was sent to the Minneapolis Millers.
Mr. Bethel continued to live a life of baseball. After playing, he became a scout for the Giants, and then coached at CCNY. Locally, he had also been an Athletic director for Lake Ridge Academy as well as a coach and teacher for North Ridgeville High School.
Among coaching baseball, Dell was also an author and consultant. In 1973 he was called to be a consultant for the film, "Bang the Drum Slowly", and coached Robert De Niro and Michael Moriarty. Some of the books he authored include: The Men of Old Baldy, Inside Baseball and the introduction to Feeling Sports, a book for disabled athletes, by John Ross.
Mr. Bethel was a member of Ascension Lutheran Church, North Olmsted, The North Ridgeville Lions Club and the Disabled American Veterans.
Surviving are his wife of fifty-four years, Pauline (nee Halter) and son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Diana Bethel, of Elyria.
Visitation will be from 3-5PM Sunday at the David Bogner Family Funeral Home, 36625 Center Ridge Rd., North Ridgeville where the North Ridgeville Lions Club will conduct services at 4:30 PM. Funeral service will be at 10:00AM Monday at Ascension Lutheran Church, 28081 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted with Rev. Roger Stunkel, pastor, officiating. Burial will take place at 9:30AM Tuesday at OH Western Reserve National Cemetery, Rittman.
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