From Lyrinda Stork Snyderman:
I have learned that Belle (Lillian Allen) Hull died last April 15, 2011, in Dallas, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte. I have no details of her untimely death. She had been married to John Fearno, and they had a daughter, Holly. She also had a son, Ian Kroe, with Jerry Kroe (presumably they were not married). Her last husband was Rabbi Norman Franz. She had sisters Allison, younger, and Susan, older. Thea (Cynthia) Marshall had visited her in Minnesota. So far I have been unable to track down anyone else who knows anything else of her life.
Belle was always ahead of her time. She was a hippie long before the term existed. She wore farmer jeans and an I Love Lucy bandanna headscarf. She was gorgeous and had the handsome boyfriends. She had a Triumph TR-3 and I remember sitting in the back "seat" (actually a narrow shelf behind the driver's seat) with the top down all the way to Atlantic City. Belle's family had a foot pump organ which I loved to play.
Belle lived on my block at the bottom of the street in Bryn Mawr.
Cynthia G Marshall
I knew Belle from the time I was 4 years old. She was always a leader, not just in age, being a year older than I was, but also in her pushing beyond the boundaries of the neighborhood and the culture.
Although we parted, as most of us did, on graduation to our speerate lives, I kept in contact with her and last saw her in the late 70's-in the summer of '77 when she was with her husband John Fearno and pregnant with her child Holly (born near Xmas 1977) and then again for six months from March 16 to Sept 5 1978 when I was on my way from R.I. to live in New Mexico and stopped off at her and John's farm to visit and learn all the skills. I arrived that night to find a baby goat in the kitchen and a big slab of marinating meat for St. Patrick day feast of traditional corned beef.
During that long visit with them I learned to milk a goat, make cheese, can everything from fruit to fiddle-head ferns (picked them too in the MN spring woods!) weed a garden and butcher out a rabbit or chicken, bringing it from barnyard or hutch to the table.
Her husband John Fearno died on Feb. 2, 1980 and after that we bagan to lose touch. Our last conversation was by phone in late 1984/early 1985 when she was with Norman Franz.. It was a parting of the ways as I never heard from her agian. By then we had developed radically different philosophies and life paths much like the country and the culture.
I did try to find her in the last two years so I was very saddened whe I learned she had passed. She was lively and beautiful and a treasured friend of my earliest years.
Linda Vanderpool White
I was very sad to hear about Belle's passing. I have not seen Belle since we graduated. Belle and I were in many classes together. I remember her singing in choir. Belle was very artistic and creative. She helped to decorate for many of our school dances. Linda Vanderpool White
Robert Carreon
I remember Belle Hull and that Red Triumph TR-3 like it was yesterday. In fact, everytime I pass by Astor Place or go into Astor Liquor, I remember our first trip to New York City in that car. There was another person with us, but I don't recall who it was. Cynthia Marshall was sitting on my lap and everytime Belle would shift gears, Cynthia would have to shift positions as well. What an adventure! We did it on a whim. We were all sitting in Belle's basement on a big leather sofa and someone said "Let's go to New York". (It may have been me). No sooner was it said, we all packed into that "rag top" and headed for the big city. We had no destination in mind but we ended up on Astor Place. At the time, we were of legal drinking age in NYC, so I went in and bought us a bottle of wine. It was at that very moment that I knew I wanted to live in New York City. We laughed the entire trip. When we were together, we always had a great time. After we arrived in NYC, we stretched a bit, looked around a little, packed ourselves back into the car and headed back home. RIP Belle.
Mark Ritchie Snyder
Belle Hull was my friend, my first love, and girlfriend during our senior year at HHS. She taught me to drive in her TR-3.
We went together to the Luthern Church Square Dance, Church Choir, and Church excursions -- one to Valley Forge. Funny thing -- we looked around, and they had all departed. We took the High-Speed rail back. It ran from Valley Forge, two blocks from my house, and into Philadelphia.
Belle, Meg Fisher (now an MD Doctor), one other (the choreographer), and I rehearsed -- possibly two months -- a dance for the HHS Talent Show.
The Judges did not know what to make of us. We were not selected to continue. After the audition presentation, someone came up to us and said, "The judges didn't know what to make of you. They didn't get it! I thought you were absolutely great! I'm sorry I won't get to see you in th show!"
We had done a dance spoof. We pretended we missed our marks. We fell off the stage -- slinky, funny. The occasional umbrella would go flying. Missed leaps and catches... We were so proud. Want to see it again? --The exact funny same as before ... But we were not given that chance.
I wrote her a letter about 15-20 years ago, having come across her parents' address from school days.
She wrote back, saying she was getting married. The tone of the lettter seemed a little angry. I put the letter into a box with other letters, and have looked for it from time-to-time, to no avail. Maybe it was stolen, like so many of my other valued possessions. My Stamp Collection; my power tools, my electric wheelchairs., my Video Equipment, my jewelery, my gun, my houses, my art.
I really loved Belle.
George J Jr Koch
Mark - A simple "She was my first love," would have sufficed. We are all children of the 60's; each of us have stories we could tell about past loves. It's puerile to share "kiss & tell" stories about someone who can't respond. This should be about her legacy, not yours.
What I remember about Belle was her creativity and zest for life. Requiescat in pace, Belle.
(Esther) Sue Davis (Remaley)
George, thank you for correcting Mark Snyder with respect to the inappropriate comments that he made in Belle's In Memoriam, which were uncalled for. I am pleased to see that the comments have been toned down. Yes, we need to remember Belle and joy she brought to our lives during our high school years together.
I didn't have the privilege of knowing Belle for very long, since I didn't move to Bryn Mawr and attend HHS until I was in the middle of my sophomore year. Belle lived at the bottom of my street, and she and Thea Marshall and I got together quite often and had so many fun times together. As others have said, Belle was well ahead of her time, and lived her life to the fullest… making many of us laugh and smile.
We miss you, dear Belle, and hold our fond memories of you in our hearts. Rest in peace, dear one.
Marianne Portelli (D'Elia)
George and Sue, I totally agree....all I could think of was "wow", how could you write that!! Very disrespectful! I really did not know her well, but recall her unique style and gorgeous hair.
Linda Loane (Harris)
I also did not really know Belle except for her uniqueness. We never had any classes together. However, I was disturbed by the pitiful 'tribute' to Belle by Mark Snyder. I just wanted to thank George for taking the bull by the horns and stepping up to the distasteful comments made. Thank you George for speaking for all of us who were offended by those comments.