Oct. 13, 1949 - June 16, 2013

Daryl Lyn Bell-Greenstreet was born Oct. 1, 1949, in Illinois. He died at home, surrounded by family, June 16, 2013, in North Bend.

Daryl was a Vietnam veteran who, having been stationed on the northern border near Da Nag from 1967-69, was exposed to the deadly pesticide, Agent Orange, as were thousands of other young Marines in the area. Daryl was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in July 2006. He sailed through 17 chemotherapies, plus full-bodied radiation, before undergoing a successful stem cell transplant at the Seattle VA Hospital in September 2007. However, a deep infection from his Hickman catheter resulted in the onset of severe fibromyalgia, nine months after the transplant. In August 2012, Daryl was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He underwent a full treatment of radiation at the Bay Area Hospital Radiation Center last fall.

Daryl pursued pre-law coursed by correspondence during the war and finished his bachelor’s degree when he returned to Illinois. En route from California to Seattle for his transplant, he and his wife, Becky, passed through the Bay Area, deciding to retire here. Less than on year later, they moved to Coos Bay, then resided outside of Coquille for three years. He entered the Avameer (Hearthside) facility this last spring, but he chose to live with Becky, his German shepherd, Jake, and two cats until the end of his life. Daryl devoured books on history, physics, mathematics and treasured his collection of world literature, as well. A tool cutter/grinder early in his married life, he later became enamored with theater and film. While the Bell-Greenstreets lived in California, he wrote several plays and screenplays. Motivated by the deaths of several older friends and family who had to move into nursing homes, due to the lack of a medication reminder, he invented and built the original prototype for and patented Mediclock. His second patented medical device is a disposable, non-resuable syringe. Despite years of networking with potential investors, both products still need to be on the market. He invented numerous products which would have solved many patients’ problems.

Daryl’s overwhelming generosity extended to family, friends and strangers, always stopping to fix a flat tire, despite rain and mud. While residing in Tucson, Ariz., Daryl devoted much of his time serving on the state Foster Care Review Board. He cared deeply about diminishing the numbers of homeless children and orphans. Daryl wrote prolifically over the years from numerous white papers on physics and math, to a memoir of his life in the Marines at Camp Pendleton, to letters to the editor, the most recent of which urged husbands to appreciate their wives.

Daryl is survived by his wife, Becky, “the best thing that ever happened to me”; his children from a previous marriage, Laura Daley, Jason Greenstreet and their children both of Missouri; sister, Donna, her husband, Tim McCarthy and children of California; brother, David, his wife, Carol and son of Florida; many nieces and nephews; five grandchildren; and a host of friends from one end of the United States to the other.

A celebration of his life will be held Aug. 18 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Coos Bay.