Dean died peacefully on December 3, 2017 following a 2- year illness.

 

He is survived by his beloved wife, Dr. Sandra Marles and his cherished son, Ian, as well as his parents Coral and Jim Bell, and his brothers, James, Bruce and his wife, Gail, (Colin and Danny), and Allan and his wife, Marlene (Bridget). Many other family members will also miss him.

 

Dean graduated with distinction from medical school at the University of Alberta in 1984. He completed his Anaesthesia specialty at Dalhousie University in 1989, and a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine in 1991 at the University of Manitoba.

 

Dean served as director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at St. Boniface Hospital from 1998 to 2012. In 2007, Dean became the inaugural director of the newly created Intensive Care Cardiac Surgery. He was co-director of the Cardiac Sciences ICU from 2010 until 2015.

 

As Program Director for specialty training in Critical Care Medicine from 2000 to 2011, Dean inspired and mentored a generation of young intensive care physicians currently practicing in institutions across Canada and abroad including: Europe, USA, Australia and the Middle East.

 

Dean was instrumental in introducing High Fidelity Medical Simulation to the University of Manitoba as well as across Canada. As one of the founding members of the Canadian Resuscitation Institute, a collaboration of Critical Care Physician educators across the country, Dean helped to educate Critical Care Fellows about how to care for real patients by teaching them in a non-threatening environment with simulated patients. His knowledge and expertise with medical simulation for education gave him the insight required to help design the current Clinical Learning and Simulation Facility at the Bannatyne Campus.

 

Dean was greatly admired, respected and loved by his colleagues, students and coworkers and will be missed by them. Dean loved music and there was always music playing in the house and his car. He read extensively, both fiction and nonfiction. He loved to travel and the family had many wonderful trips together, especially in the Caribbean.  Dean felt satisfied that he had lived life well.

 

There will be a celebration of Dean’s life on Monday, December 11 at 1 pm in the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in the Bonnie and John Buhler Hall (just inside the main entrance) with the Reverend Bill Millar officiating.

 

If desired, a donation could be made to the University of Manitoba Dean Bell Lectureship or the United Way.