Our brave, beautiful, smiley daughter peacefully left this world on the morning of March 1, 2024. Emma was our wild child, with crazy curly blonde hair and a world-class belly laugh. She had a sinister sense of humor and loved a good “fail” video. Emma had striking blue eyes and a smile that could take your breath away.
Emma was an accomplished explorer. In 2017 she circumnavigated the entire country of Ireland. During that trip, she braved gale-force winds and pelting rains to hike to the top of the tallest seaside cliffs in Europe. She road-tripped through Mexico twice, swam with sea turtles in Hawaii and climbed the oldest working lighthouse in the world. She camped in at least nine states all over the West — from the shores of the raging Rogue in Oregon to the soulful forests of the giant Sequoias in California. She saw glaciers and grizzly bears in Montana, soaked in secret hot springs in Idaho and explored haunted ghost towns of Nevada. Emma was a bit of a rebel. In 2020 when the national parks were closed because of COVID-19, Emma snuck into Zion National Park and rode her bike the grueling 16-mile round trip loop to the end of the canyon and back.
Emma’s first concert was Willie Nelson when she was just 10 months old. She saw countless other legends perform live. She was the ultimate athlete and completed numerous 5Ks, 10Ks and even a half marathon. She first started skiing (strapped to her dad) in the rugged mountains of Telluride, Colorado, at just 18 months old. Emma was an avid river runner. Over the years she was the trip leader on several multi-day river trips. She loved the water and being on the raft was her happy place. Emma wasn’t afraid of anything. The bigger the rapids, the better.
As well as being well-traveled, Emma was also bursting with wisdom. She taught us compassion, endurance, patience and determination. She taught us about the power of a smile and that it can break down any barrier. Emma taught us that you can say a lot without uttering a single word. Her presence was enormous and the impact she had will leave a lasting influence on all who knew her.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but we know that it actually takes an army to raise a special-needs child. Emma’s army was mighty. We want to thank all of the teachers, paras, P.T.s, O.T.s, doctors, nurses, peer tutors, bus drivers, friends, etc … who helped to make her life so full. Thank you for loving our girl and for always cheering her on.
She is survived by her parents Justin and Rebecca Bell, her brother and sister Isaac and Ada Bell, grandparents David and Lori Bell, maternal grandmother Roline Kapcsos, paternal grandmother Kathy-Dawn Lamb and heaps of loving aunts, uncles and cousins, (both related and honorary), who all adored her.
A celebration of Emma’s life will be held on Saturday, March 16, at 1 p.m. at the Rockville Community Center Park, 43 East Main St., Rockville, Utah.
Family and friends are invited to click here to share tributes online. Arrangements and memorial tree planting by Serenity Funeral Home of Southern Utah, 435-986-9100.