Obituary for Reverend Leon Bell (Retired Pastor)
Reverend Leon Bell
“Retired Pastor”
Affectionately known as “Pawpaw, Pops, Daddy,
Baby Ray, Rev. Bell, Uncle, Spiderman & Leon”
“I fought a good fight, I finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
Leon Bell was born December 29, 1935 to Susie Williams Bell in Millers Ferry, Alabama. He exchanged time for eternity Monday, July 24, 2023 in Mobile, Alabama.
At an early age, Leon accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. He answered God’s call to preach the gospel and he was ordained in Mechanicsburg, Ohio. Later, his job required him to relocate to West Virginia where he continued in his calling to preach the gospel.
After the transition of his mother, Leon decided it was time to return home. He reunited with his home church (Mt. Olive # 1 Baptist Church), under the leadership of the late Dr. A. J. Stokes, where he was one of the associate ministers until his death. He was called to Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Frisco City, Alabama where he served faithfully for over seventeen years. While there, he formed lifetime relationships and friendships in the surrounding areas.
Leon had a love for all sports, his passion was football and golf. His greatest joy was when his son was drafted into the NFL. He rarely missed a game if any, regardless of the distance. He often said, “he thought Leshon and Myles was a great football player.”… but when he saw Eric II play, he said, “wow he made a mistake, he’s going to be a beast on both fields football and baseball.” He enjoyed going to the games on Friday nights to see Myles play and on Saturday mornings to watch Eric until his health began to fail. He would ask Eric every time he came in, “Deuce where you played today?” His replied sometimes…“not today Pawpaw, we didn’t have a game.”
To know him is to know he loved his family. He would visit them at least once or twice a week, he loved spending time with family. He loved golfing on Mondays and Thursdays. I knew not to bother him, they were going to find a golf course somewhere.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Mrs. Susie Williams Bell; four brothers, two sisters, three sisters-in law and two brothers-in-law.
Leon leaves to cherish his memories, his loving and devoted wife of twenty-eight years, the sparkle in his eyes, Clarea Smith Bell; four sons: Gregory (Sophia), Retired Major Robert (Libby) H. Brown, Jay Brown and Demetrius (Tawanna) Smith; four daughters: Deborah (Pastor Bill) Russell, Leona Annette Bell, LaKeisha Smith and Sophia Smith “his sunshine”; twenty-one grandchildren: Aaron, Femi, Rami, Chanel, Leshon, Autumeize “Pooh”, Robert Jr., Zachary, Tremel, Myles, Eric II, Tiandra, Dahnari, Demetrius Jr., Dallas, JT, Keyshawn, Jasmine, Braylon, Jayvon and Jordon;
eleven great-grandchildren; one brother, Jimmy (Dorothy) Bell; three sisters-in-law: Patricia (Eddie) Cox, Janice Smith and Varnada (Nada) Irby; three brothers-in-law: Booker T. Jr. (Patricia) Smith, Lawrence (Brenda) Smith and Ray, (Chondra) Smith; a host of devoted nieces, nephews, cousins, other family members and friends; a lifelong friend, Elder Sandy Drayton of Moncks Corner, SC; and devoted friends: Cortez Etheridge, Pastor Richard Nicholas, Minister Larry Nicholas (CPA), Pastor John Freeman, Pastor Sandy McQueen, Pastor Cleveland Williams, Pastor Osby Millender, Minister Napolean Hart and Minister John Barrymore; can repair anything his friend, Deacon Wilber Webb; and his nephew, Carl Jackson.
“Retired Pastor”
Affectionately known as “Pawpaw, Pops, Daddy,
Baby Ray, Rev. Bell, Uncle, Spiderman & Leon”
“I fought a good fight, I finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
Leon Bell was born December 29, 1935 to Susie Williams Bell in Millers Ferry, Alabama. He exchanged time for eternity Monday, July 24, 2023 in Mobile, Alabama.
At an early age, Leon accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. He answered God’s call to preach the gospel and he was ordained in Mechanicsburg, Ohio. Later, his job required him to relocate to West Virginia where he continued in his calling to preach the gospel.
After the transition of his mother, Leon decided it was time to return home. He reunited with his home church (Mt. Olive # 1 Baptist Church), under the leadership of the late Dr. A. J. Stokes, where he was one of the associate ministers until his death. He was called to Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Frisco City, Alabama where he served faithfully for over seventeen years. While there, he formed lifetime relationships and friendships in the surrounding areas.
Leon had a love for all sports, his passion was football and golf. His greatest joy was when his son was drafted into the NFL. He rarely missed a game if any, regardless of the distance. He often said, “he thought Leshon and Myles was a great football player.”… but when he saw Eric II play, he said, “wow he made a mistake, he’s going to be a beast on both fields football and baseball.” He enjoyed going to the games on Friday nights to see Myles play and on Saturday mornings to watch Eric until his health began to fail. He would ask Eric every time he came in, “Deuce where you played today?” His replied sometimes…“not today Pawpaw, we didn’t have a game.”
To know him is to know he loved his family. He would visit them at least once or twice a week, he loved spending time with family. He loved golfing on Mondays and Thursdays. I knew not to bother him, they were going to find a golf course somewhere.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Mrs. Susie Williams Bell; four brothers, two sisters, three sisters-in law and two brothers-in-law.
Leon leaves to cherish his memories, his loving and devoted wife of twenty-eight years, the sparkle in his eyes, Clarea Smith Bell; four sons: Gregory (Sophia), Retired Major Robert (Libby) H. Brown, Jay Brown and Demetrius (Tawanna) Smith; four daughters: Deborah (Pastor Bill) Russell, Leona Annette Bell, LaKeisha Smith and Sophia Smith “his sunshine”; twenty-one grandchildren: Aaron, Femi, Rami, Chanel, Leshon, Autumeize “Pooh”, Robert Jr., Zachary, Tremel, Myles, Eric II, Tiandra, Dahnari, Demetrius Jr., Dallas, JT, Keyshawn, Jasmine, Braylon, Jayvon and Jordon;
eleven great-grandchildren; one brother, Jimmy (Dorothy) Bell; three sisters-in-law: Patricia (Eddie) Cox, Janice Smith and Varnada (Nada) Irby; three brothers-in-law: Booker T. Jr. (Patricia) Smith, Lawrence (Brenda) Smith and Ray, (Chondra) Smith; a host of devoted nieces, nephews, cousins, other family members and friends; a lifelong friend, Elder Sandy Drayton of Moncks Corner, SC; and devoted friends: Cortez Etheridge, Pastor Richard Nicholas, Minister Larry Nicholas (CPA), Pastor John Freeman, Pastor Sandy McQueen, Pastor Cleveland Williams, Pastor Osby Millender, Minister Napolean Hart and Minister John Barrymore; can repair anything his friend, Deacon Wilber Webb; and his nephew, Carl Jackson.