Ricky Kalvin Bryant better known as Ricky Bell, 62, passed away July 12, 2023. Ricky was born May 27, 1961 in Fresno, CA. He was the 2nd born of 7 children and the loving son of Yvonne Bryant-Hall and Eddie Hall. Ricky grew up in San Jose but as an adult he loved to travel between Oakland, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and Monterey. He lived a free-spirited life and always preferred the outdoors and being in nature. Ricky loved gardening, dancing, singing, acting, and listening to all kinds of music. He would often sing karaoke at Coaster’s bar in Santa Cruz. Ricky would sing big and project his voice as if he was imaging being in a Broadway show. You could often find him at festivals and street fairs around the bay. Ricky would be in the middle of a large crowd dancing. He didn’t need a dance partner and he didn’t care who was watching. Ricky was not a shy person. He would just groove and live in that very moment. One of his great loves was photography. He enjoyed taking pictures of street art all over California. It didn’t matter if the art was on trains, buildings, or sidewalks. Ricky captured anything that told a story about life. He was so proud of his work and often displayed it at different art galleries and events. Currently his art has been on display for the whole month of July at the Melanated Expressions gallery in Santa Cruz. His art was described by one admirer as “It’s raw. It’s like the beauty of everyday that I acknowledge but I don’t have a photo of. I love it”. Ricky also lived a brief time in Los Angles to pursue an acting career. There he was an extra in the 1981 horror movie, Blood Beach.
Ricky struggled with substance abuse throughout his life. Over the last few years, he worked hard to overcome his addictions. He began to really focus on his life dreams and reconnecting and healing relationships. Ricky was proud of his accomplishments and began to work on many projects. He was a gentle soul and a friend to many. Ricky will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
Ricky is survived by one son, Shawdell Bryant, his parents Yvonne and Eddie Hall, 6 siblings Tommy Bryant, Penny Bryant, Timmy Jones, Ginger Jones-Castner, Ramona Marrable, Bless Marrable-Smith, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
A visitation for Ricky will be held at Allen Mortuary on Wednesday, July 26th from 5-7pm.
A Funeral will be held at Allen Mortuary on Thursday, July 27th starting at 1:00pm.
Follow this link to view the livestream of Ricky’s funeral: viewlogies.net
Leave a Condolence