CAMDEN, S.C. — The Camden community is mourning the loss of Bishop Thomas C. Bell, who passed away on September 27th.
"A lover of God first and foremost, and a lover of people," is how Pamela Jones, described Bishop Bell.
Jones worked alongside Bell since 1996 and says the community rallying around their church has helped them during this difficult time, "And that's what's keeping us going, literally it, we're going through this together."
The impact Bishop Bell left on the community inspired Camden Mayor Alfred Mae Drakeford to try and find a way to remember her friend and community member.
"He always called me up, checked on me, he would come out on city hall and pay for the city," says Drakeford. "And his birthday is the 21st, October 21st, and he had already planned, started making plans for a birthday weekend. So, I said wow, so what as a city what can we do? So he'd been working with us on Boykin Park, making some updates in the park, so wouldn't that be awesome? We had planned to put some benches there so let's dedicate a bench."
A gift his secretary Jones says is a beautiful way to honor him, "It's a wonderful demonstration of the city returning the love he had for the city, that's what's wonderful about it and to have a bench that's actually being placed before the basketball court it's like him as always watching over the children."
Drakeford added, "He was a friend to the city of Camden but most of all he was my friend."
The City of Camden will officially place the plaque in his name on the bench, Friday, October 21st at 3 p.m. at Boykin Park.