Lois Bell of Hammond was a community activist and environmentalist long before the words made their way into the American lexicon. Lois died Wednesday at the age of 89 after a brief illness. She began her career as a social worker after graduation from the University of Michigan and never lost sight of the idealism that such a career holds. When she left the profession, she gave her time and energy to making her community a better place. "She stayed a committed social worker even though she wasn't gainfully employed,'' said Barbara Royal, a longtime friend. Pepper Kaplan of Hammond, another longtime friend, said, "Lois was a soldier for all the right things." Lois was a longtime member of the League of Women Voters of the Calumet Area. She was elected to the Hammond School Board in 1974 and served two terms, ending in 1982. She also served on the Citizens Nominating Committee that recruited people to run for school board. In addition, she was vice president of the Friends of the Hammond Public Library. When she wasn't advocating for her community, she spent time collecting stamps and was a member of the Calumet Stamp Club. Lois cared deeply about the environment and as a member of the League of Women Voters played a role in getting the city of Hammond to close the its dump in the 1970s. She also was an advocate of establishing the Hammond Bird Sanctuary. In addition, she was a member of the Save the Dunes Council. As a director of the Calumet Project, Lois was committed to the Brownfield Project that was dedicated to reusing old industrial sites in the Calumet Region so that new jobs could be created. Lois served on the school board not for the sake of her own children but because she believed in the importance of a good public education. She loved politics and served as chair of the Lake County George McGovern presidential campaign in 1972. Lois was born to Henrietta and William Hansen and grew up in East Chicago, graduating from Roosevelt High School. She also was a graduate of the University of Michigan. She married James Bell in 1950 and settled in Hammond. He survives her along with four children: Brian (Carol) of Glenview, Ill., David of Chicago, Barbara of Libertyville, Ill., and Gary (Tiffani) of Munster; and five grandchildren: Annie Bell McCaskey (Michael) of Chicago; Megan Bell of Chicago; Jake Bell of Glenview, Ill.; Madeline Bell and Kayla Bell of Munster. Several cousins also survive. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 4, 2012 from 3 PM until 8 PM at LaHayne Funeral Home, 6955 Southeastern Avenue in Hammond. Burial the next day will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lois Bell's name to the Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1600 or Friends of the Hammond Public Library, 564 State St., Hammond, IN 46320. For further information, please contact LaHayne Funeral Home at 219/ 845-3600.