NORFOLK, Va. — A custom bike sparked a years-long friendship between America's tallest man and the business owner who built it.
George Bell, who stood at 7 feet 8 inches, sadly passed away this week. He was 67 years old.
Watch: George Bell, America's tallest man and former Norfolk deputy, dies at 67
In 2016, Andrew Hund, then-owner of Norfolk ReCycle Factory, met Bell at a tattoo convention. There, he made a proposition to Bell: He wanted to build a custom bike for America's tallest man.
"I asked George if he had a bike, and he said, 'no, I haven't had one since I was 13,'" Hund recalled.
While discussing the project, the two realized they had quite a bit in common, prompting a friendship that lasted nearly a decade. Bell and Andrew connected on their shared upbringings in Hampton Roads.
"[George is] just another great example of Hampton Roads talent, and he was a very humble person when it came down to it," Hund said. "I felt like I knew the guy for my whole life."
Bell was born in Portsmouth in 1957, and Andrew says, "he didn't ask to be America's tallest man." Throughout Bell's childhood, he was victim to bullying from his classmates due to his abnormal height.
Bell would later use this experience to host assemblies in local schools with the apt title, "Stand Tall Against Bullying."
Hund, who was born in Norfolk, was diagnosed with Epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin disorder that causes fragile, blistering skin. He currently has tattoos on his shins as a method to obscure them, but as a kid, he was teased for being different.
"But that was kind of what really started building our friendship up," Hund said.
In adulthood, Bell didn't have an easy time navigating life as a person with unusual height. Hund talked about how Bell was always reminded about his stature.
"He didn't get paid to you take those pictures with people," Hund said. "Everywhere he went with his family, he would be interrupted by people wanting to just talk to him about his height."
Hund recognized George's struggle and was committed to supporting his new friend.
"I found that he was so financially challenged, so [the bike] became a gift," Hund said. "We did it in the colors of the Dallas Cowboys, his favorite team."
Soft-spoken and kind, Hund says "gentle giant," was commonly used to describe Bell. Hund's outgoing personality led him to speak out on Bell's behalf; he emphasizes that Bell is a human being with a big heart — not just a commodity for people to take advantage of.
"He would want people to come together, people to love one another ,and people to just be happy and for the life that they have," Hund recalled. "larger than life, you know, but I say that his heart was even bigger."
