Mr. Bell was born in Halifax County May 22, 1960, to the late Lee Augustus Bell and Mary Stansbury Bell.
He has been involved in fire fighting since the age of 18, and has been with the Rheasville Fire Department for 35 years.
He earned the honor of Fireman of the Year in 2001, and Halifax County Fireman Asscociation Fireman of the Year in 2013 and has been involved in helping the Davie Fire Department.
He has the honor of being the firefighter who has responded to the most calls in Eastern North Carolina.
Also, he was a proud member of the Halifax County Fireman Association and served as President and Vice President. He was known for helping as many people as he possibly could. When he was not busy with the fire departments, he worked in the family business at B&T Wholesale.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Bell is preceded in death by his brother, David Bell and his sister-in-law, Robin Jones Bell.
Surviving are his children, James Lee Bell, II, Stephanie Nicole Bell and Crystal Marie White; brother, William Bell; sister, Sylvia Newsom and husband, David, of Roanoke Rapids; grandsons, Camden White and Brayden White; niece, Suzanne Forte of Roanoke Rapids; two great-nieces, Bridget Forte and Lauren Forte, both of Roanoke Rapids; nephews, Sam Bell and Brett Love, both of Roanoke Rapids; his aunts and uncles, Katherine and Marlyn Faison, Lovell Gray, Roy Stansbury, Jean Stansbury, all of Roanoke Rapids, Bessie Bennett of Goldsboro, Dorothy and Gerald Matthews of Rolesville, NC, Daisy and Rob Welch of Charleston, SC, and Artie Hamm of Rocky Mount, and his sister-in-law, Sabrina Love and husband Doug, of Pleasant Hill, NC. Also surviving are many cousins and friends.
The family will receive friends at Hockaday Funeral & Cremation Service Thursday, April 17, 2014, from 6-8:30 pm. Pastors Cory Oliver and Barry Gardner will conduct funeral services in the chapel at Hockaday, Friday, April 18, 2014 at 2:00 pm. Burial with Fireman’s Honors will follow at Community Center Baptist Church Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family wishes memorial contributions be made to Rheasville Fire Department, 3456 HWY 48, Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870.
Online condolences may be sent to www.hockadayfs.com
