Robert (Bob) Bell, 87, passed away peacefully on December 13, 2023 in the Plantation in Leesburg, FL, surrounded by loving family and friends.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Jo Bell, daughter, Debi Cummings (husband Ron), son, Bob Bell (wife Robin), and step-children, Kathleen Van Dyk (husband Graham) and John Van Dyk (wife Jaime). He is also survived by his grandchildren – Heather, Holly, Nick, Mary, Iva, Stella, and John, and great-grandchildren – Tim, Titus, Sam, Silas, Jackson, Noah, Zoe, Colton, Leo, Erica, Payton, and Hunter.
Bob was born Paterson, NJ on 2/4/1936 and raised in Fair Lawn, NJ. Bob was the youngest of seven children (Mildred, Teddy, Albert, George, Betty, and Helen), and is the last surviving child of Anna Sudusky and George Bell.
Bob was one of a kind. He was fun-loving and one of the hardest working people you would ever meet. He was a very talented carpenter, a member of the carpenter’s union Local 15 in Hackensack, NJ. He was also a dedicated volunteer fireman in Fair Lawn, NJ for many years. He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in NJ. When he moved to Florida, he was an active volunteer for the Morrison United Methodist Church, of which he was a member for 18 years, and the Salvation Army, in Leesburg, FL. When he moved to Florida in 2005 he quickly made friends and was a regular member of the Eustis Gun Club.
Bob, with his fun, jokester spirit was loved and will be missed by so many. His inimitable spirit and joy for life was felt by everyone around him, including our four-legged friends. Bob loved, and was loved by, many, many beloved cats and dogs over his long life. He built a patio in front of his Plantation house to sit and say hello to passers-by and their four-legged companions.
A celebration of his rich and full life his will be held on February 5th at 11 a.m. at the Morrison United Methodist Church in Leesburg, FL.
