Warren Wells, whose humor cheered kids and others, dies at 43

Warren Wells was a lot of fun to be around.

He especially attracted children to him with his quirky sense of humor and his funny chant, "Ya ba daba do da day."

"When Warren was around there was never a dull moment," his family said. "He kept everyone laughing with his famous saying, 'humma humma, humma.' "

Warren, a six-year employee of the city Sanitation Department, died unexpectedly of natural causes on Thursday. He was 43 and lived in North Philadelphia.

He was born in Philadelphia to Cleo and Walter Wells and graduated from Parkway High School in 1983. He later took a computer course.

He was raised in North Philadelphia with his four brothers. Their call when there was trouble was "Soooo weeee!" But when Warren arrived to explain what the trouble was, he invariably would say, "It ain't much of nothin.' "

Warren was a member of the Naval Reserve.

Besides his parents, he is survived by his stepmother, Edna Johnson; twin sons, Sharif and Silis Wells; four brothers, Rodney "Hoppo" Edward, Walter Jr. and Amir. He was preceded in death by his sister, Cenquetta Wells.

Services: 11 a.m. today at Thomas Funeral Services, 2803 W. Alleghney Ave. Friends may call at 10 a.m. *

-John F. Morrison