Obituary of Sophia Bella
Join us for a Celebration of Life
For Sophia Bella
Saturday, November 29 from 11 to 2
At the Hampton Seniors Resource
Centre, 31 Demille Ct.
May 17, 1936 – July 31, 2025
With deep sadness, the family and friends of Sophia Bella wish to announce her sudden passing on July 31, 2025 at the Saint John Regional Hospital.
Sophia was a dear friend and inspiration to all who knew her. She was creative, independent, fun, fiercely independent, kind, positive about life…. she was interested in everyone and everything.
Sophia, a professional artist and retired art teacher, finished her teaching career at Belleisle Regional High School. Through the years Sophia worked in many art and craft mediums, including clay, drawing and painting, batiks and knotted jute, sisal wall hangings, wire art and bobbin lace. She taught classes and exhibited in many group shows at Hooper Studios and other shows. Recently her passion for painting was reignited, inspired by a great friend, Fred Harrison.
“Sophia was born May 17th, 1936, in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia to mother Klára and father Arnošt. She spent her early years mostly in Bratislava, with her family. Her youth was set in tough times of starting communist rule and after war poverty. But there she gained her love for nature, hiking and fine arts. She studied ceramics design in senior high school for arts and crafts in Bratislava, then worked in theatre as a backdrop painter, and studied at the college for teachers of arts and Slovak language. She started teaching in Bratislava when she was 25 years old. When 1968 came and it was easier to travel she was 32 years old and single, went with her sister Nina for a visit to family friends in London, UK in July. After the August occupation of Czechoslovakia by Soviet block armies, with the help of her uncle John Nemy and his family, she sought freedom in Canada. At first, she lived for a short time in Toronto, taking English courses and then moved to Saint John, NB where she got her first teaching job in Canada. From here, she moved to Hampton NB and started teaching arts at Belleisle Regional High School.”
~ Stanislav, Sophie’s nephew
From Katka Revallová to friends of Sophie Bella who will give farewell to their friend, neighbour, colleague, acquaintance, who has lived in Hampton, NB the bigger half of her long life:
“Žofia, Žofka, Sophia, my first, eldest, and most important sister! We have lived through our teenage years together, as you have studied to become a professional artist, ceramist, pedagogue, teacher of fine arts. My elder sisters, Sophia and Nina, were both blessed with talent. At our home we've read a lot (be it books about art, history, collectors, or creators, but especially artists' autobiographies), you've drawn a lot, painted, and sculpted, and our parents supported both of you through that very much. One sister took on the path of visual arts, while the other, Nina, chose the path of music. Our father till his old age always wanted to return to painting after not being able to do the work in his garden… When Sophia returned to Bratislava in order to help take care of our mother, she found hers and her father's large wooden easel.
I am going to dearly miss my sister now, in exactly the same way as I missed her in my youth when she, 32 years old, decided under the pressure of an unfavorable situation in our country to leave for a foreign continent and attempt to find a new home there. To fulfill her dreams and life expectations, to travel and live a free life. She found within herself a lot of courage and determination, thanks to which she has successfully adapted to life in her new homeland in Canada. I feel great gratitude and admiration to her community of friends and colleagues, who were close to her and supported her, and in many cases acted as her remote family. Without them she would just be a lonely lecturer, ripped out from her motherland. In fact, her talent for art blossomed even after her health break until the age of 88, for which she undoubtedly was grateful to her friends, with whom she could share her plans, and also carry them out.
I won’t list the names of her friends, undoubtedly, I’d leave out someone. You know best with whom she was happy, as a dear reliable close friend, despite her rather closed-off, introverted nature. She was a dear, reliable friend to me as well and taught me much. Even when we were far away, my view of the world remained much like the one we’d formed together in our youth. We understood each other without words and never needed many words to agree. I’ll never forget our hikes, walks, and her visits to Slovakia after many years, where she discovered all sorts of things she still liked here and things in which she was interested. Concerts, theatre, exhibitions, nature, and old trees and gardens, which were close to her heart.
Despite everything, she always returned home to Hampton, which, with its nature and people, has become an unquestionable part of her. I say my farewell to Sophia, my beloved sister, who in the time of our mother’s declining health, was a wonderful tutor and a second mother. I grew up under her care and owe her for her meaningful advice. Sweet, quiet, kind Sophia, I won’t forget you. We all love you and will hold your memory in our hearts. I am glad my children and grandchildren had the opportunity to get to know her during her visits to Slovakia”
~From Sophia’s second-oldest sister, Nina
“I could not express my feelings better, the same experiences; the same profound relationship as that of my younger sister, that continued until recent times when we often were in close connection via long-lasting telephone talks, exchanging of messages, music and art, on the whole of everything that was fulfilling our lives…
I remember very vividly those dramatic moments in England when Sophia decided not to come back to Slovakia. We were standing at the airport with tears in our eyes, and I had to embrace Sophie not knowing when or if we would see each other again. I left her standing there and returned home. After many years, I saw Sophia at the little airport in Saint John. She was so near, almost pushing her face against the glass wall. Sophia enjoyed her life in Canada with her characteristic sensibility, appreciating all the beauties of nature and the fantastic friends she found there, as well as all other circumstances. She was happy that she had the opportunity to show me all her favorite places. She introduced me to her dear friends, we visited many places in the country, and we had a beautiful trip to Cape Breton Island. Afterward, we went to Ontario to visit Nemy's, etc. It was a great advantage to have our dear family there: John and Ala, and their sons John and Paul. They were a real, close family, gentle and helpful people. We loved them in the true sense of the word.
Sophia simply wasn't alone in the new country.
I am so grateful to all who stood by Sophia all that time and would like to express my profound gratitude to all her friends, in easy and difficult times... until the end.
I will miss my dearest sister and nothing in this world could replace that terrible emptiness, the most specific place that belonged to her...Rest in peace, my dearest sister, you will remain the part of my life as before…" All my love, Nina
Sophia is survived by her beloved sisters, Katka and Nina, her cousins, Paul and John Nemy and family, nieces and nephews.
Sophia was warmly assisted by many neighbours and friends in the last years of her life. Special thanks to Cindy and Paul Logan, Margaret Mills, Diane and Brian Cosman, Pat and Snooks Keirstead, Gina McLeod, Fred Harrison, to name a few.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Reid’s Funeral Home (506-832-5541), 1063 Main Street, Hampton, NB. A celebration of her life is planned for the near future. Donations in the memory of Sophia may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice. Personal condolences to the family and memorial donations may be made through ReidsFH.com.
