Gary L. Bell

He was born on August 18, 1948 in Kansas City, Mo. He attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City and participated in several collegiate choir programs while pursuing his professional path. Gary is survived by sister, Janet, and daughter Stephanie. He is preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Dorothy Bell.

Gary was an extraordinary man who built beautiful, custom home theaters and residential home automation systems for his clients. He could fix anything and diagnose any problem related to cars, electronics, or construction. Once, he impressed his daughter’s high school boyfriend by repairing a set of vintage speakers, rebuilding them piece by piece – an art most people could not replicate today. He would save electronics and studio music equipment from the landfill by soldering wires at his kitchen table, bringing antiques back to life that would delight any audiophile in 2025. Later in his life, Gary’s family would give him a hard time for waiting longer than necessary to hire a repair person because he knew he could fix something better. His family couldn’t argue with this.

In his personal life, Gary was an avid animal lover who cared deeply for rescue pets and their quality of life. Countless stray cats and other wayward animals got their second chance by showing up at his front door. His sister used to tease him that there was a big light in the sky pointing down to his house saying, “Kitties welcome here”.

Before he passed, Gary was searching for ways to use his skills in engineering, mechanics and automation to solve problems with water and energy in third world countries with resource scarcity. Those are huge challenges, and he enjoyed researching possible solutions to assist professionals working in those areas. It takes a village. Gary treasured sharing experience and knowledge wherever it would benefit someone in need.

One obituary cannot even begin to encapsulate someone’s entire life – the people they loved, nurtured, or cared for. If he were here, Gary would tell you to give your loved ones a hug and tell them in no uncertain terms how much they mean to you. His memory will be a blessing.

Gary was buried at Mount Moriah cemetery in Kansas City on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Services were private.