Obituary of Leroy Bell

Leroy Bell was born December, 8th 1943 to Ella Mae Bell and Matthew Craig. Leroy was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of four children. Even as a young man growing up, he adored his family. He would always talk about his uncles, aunts and cousins. He accepted Christ at the age of 18 and was a member of the Jones Temple C.O.G.I.C under the leadership of the late Pastor Felder Moragne. He continued to serve in the church as deacon, and trustee. After visiting the Philadelphia Revival Temple Church in South Philadelphia. Leroy met Sylvia Diane Robinson and soon after they were a couple and married in September of 1968. From this union five children were born, Marcus, Andrew, Anthony, Melanie and Natalie. Leroy and Sylvia also opened their home to others who lived with the family. Leroy was a great provider and was very selfless when it came to the needs of the family, they always came first. He sacrificed and work tirelessly to provide for them, often working two to three jobs to make ends meet. Leroy loved remodeling and doing construction work, his work can be seen in his home, the home of his children, friends, family and many satisfied clients. After serving at Jones Temple, Leroy joined his wife and became a member of the Revival Temple where he was ordained Elder under the dynamic leadership of the late Bishop Robert T. Robinson. Elder Bell was a staple in the church, preaching and teaching the word of God. Elder Bell continued his work at Yesha Ministries, under the ministry of Bishop James Darrell Robinson Sr. Elder Bell is one of the few founding members that has remained with the ministry since inception. Elder Bell was astute in the word of God and enjoyed teaching his Sunday morning Bible classes. Elder Bell had a true gift in teaching the word of God for understanding, whether a new convert or seasoned saint, Elder Bell helped many grow in their knowledge and in their relationship with the Lord. Elder Bell was a giver, as he helped many people financially and he understood the laws of reciprocity when it came to giving. Elder Bell was a great example of what and how a man of God should conduct themselves and live their lives. Elder Bell’s legacy is entrenched in how he inspired men far and wide in how he lived his life and cared for his family. There are so many memorable stories that many will share about Elder Bell and how he impacted their life through his actions. He was always ready to answer questions from the word of God and if he wasn’t sure he would say I’ll get back to you on that. He was especially well versed in the Old Testament, which he loved. Elder Bell was a gifted orator who loved to talk and sing about the Blood of Jesus, no matter how he felt, if he began to talk about the blood, he would get excited and or even break out in a shout. Elder Bell was a history buff and an avid reader and lover of books. Even in his last few days, he implored his daughter to bring him some good reading material. Leroy was a person who had the unique gift of making everyone he came in contact with feel loved, valued and appreciated. He spiritually fathered so many adopted sons and daughters in the church, always offering sound biblical advice to help them navigate through life’s challenges. Elder Bell loved his family, he was dually proud of his sons and daughters and their accomplishments and fawned over his many grandchildren. His absence from this physical earth will undoubtedly be a challenge for all that loved him but we are comforted in knowing that he is now rejoicing with Jesus. Elder Bell is survived in legacy by his beautiful wife of 52 years, Sylvia Diane Bell. One sister Sylvia Bell. Five children, Marcus Leroy Bell Sr., Andrew Travis Bell Sr., Anthony Craig Bell, Melanie Nicole Gazaway and Natalie Tennille Bell. Daughter-in-law’s Allison Bell and Ayanna Bell. One son-in law, Thomas Gazaway. Sixteen grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, adopted sons and daughters and extended church family. Psalm 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in his way “ Psalm 107:8 “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men