Philip Angelo Bell

Rev. Philip Angelo Bell, 93, passed into eternal rest March 31, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was a beloved father, brother, pastor and friend. He spent the last 45 years of his life in ministry to others through pastoring, chaplaincy and various volunteer service activities. His favorite Bible verse was Romans 8:28 and one of his favorite sayings was, “Things could always be worse”. These two things helped him maintain a positive attitude throughout his final years struggling with dementia.

Philip was born December 11, 1930 in Punta Gorda, Florida to Angelo C. and Myrtle Padilla Bell. He grew up on Gasparilla Island in the town of Boca Grande attending Boca Grande School (1-12) where he lettered in basketball. Growing up, he spent much time with his father fishing off the Port phosphate dock for giant grouper and jewfish in Charlotte Harbor. He also enjoyed eating the smoked mullet, grits and guava pie his mother would prepare. While still in high school, he followed in his father’s footsteps and began working for the Seaboard Airline Railroad (CSX) operating and maintaining the generator that powered their small community.

He graduated from high school in 1948 and continued working with Seaboard for the next 4 years until being drafted into the US Army in 1952. Corporal Bell served honorably with the 1st Cavalry Division as part of an artillery survey crew in Occupied Japan and Wartime Korea. While in the Army, he met several lifelong friends.

Philip left the Service in 1954 and moved to the Murray Hill section of Jacksonville. He continued working for Seaboard as a diesel locomotive mechanic for the next 9 years. It was during this time he met his future wife, Mavis Hester Edison, whom he married in 1961.

He had begun attending the University of Florida in 1959 and graduated with a BA in Education in 1963. In 1964, he began teaching American History in the Duval County Public Schools spending a total of 17 years at Englewood, Wolfson, Sandalwood and Ribault High Schools. Later, he attended the University of North Florida and in 1975 obtained a Master’s Degree in Education.

Philip and Mavis had been unable to conceive a child, so in 1966 they adopted a son, Charles, and later in 1969, a daughter, Susan. With the family now complete, Philip enjoyed taking them on summer vacations to visit Civil War historical sites, Army friends in different locations and his parents in Ft Myers. He also enjoyed the mountains of North Carolina and bought property there along with some property in Lake Asbury, Florida. He would take Charles camping on the land near Lake Asbury in his VW microbus. One of his favorite hobbies was woodworking so he built himself a shop in the backyard of their home and filled it with woodworking tools.

Mavis had a heart condition which required triple-bypass surgery, however, the condition only worsened. In 1980, she collapsed while attending church and died two days later. Philip remarried the following year but things didn’t work out and he was single again in 1983. He had stopped teaching in 1981 and spent the next 5 years working as a handyman until 1986 when he felt called into ministerial work. He left Jacksonville and began attending the Baptist Bible Institute in Graceville, Florida where he received a BA in Theology in 1990.

Upon graduating, he accepted a call to preach at New Providence Baptist Church in Paul, Alabama. He felt that one of his best achievements there was leading the church into establishing a trust that would provide perpetual care for their small cemetery. He left Alabama in 1995 and accepted a position at Brodhead Baptist Church in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Later, he moved to Sugar River Baptist Church where he remained until 2001. One of his favorite things while in Wisconsin was serving as volunteer chaplain for the Green County Sherriff’s Department. Some of his duties were to visit people in jail, notify people when their family members had been in accidents and council police officers.

He began having heart issues in 1999 so decided in 2001 to move back to Florida to be near family. He lived in Debary for a while near his aging mother and two sisters. Later, he became part of a mission project that sent volunteer crews to churches around the country assisting them with construction projects. After once again returning to Florida in 2008, he settled in the Largo area where he would preach at a KOA campground and do volunteer chaplaincy work at hospitals.

It was during this time he met his dear friend and final partner in life, Lucy Fettinger. Philip and Lucy spent a lot of time together in church activities, visiting family members and enjoying the Largo/St Pete area.

In 2021, Philip’s family assisted him in moving back to Jacksonville after 35 years away. He lived in the Five Points area at Riverside Presbyterian House for two years enjoying outings to Mossfire Grill, Larry’s Giant Subs and the Cummer Gallery. He continued his ministry work occasionally leading Bible studies at RPH. Due to a decline in health, he relocated to Fort Caroline Gardens assisted living in 2023 where he entertained the staff with his humor and would sometimes preach when their usual preacher wouldn’t show up. His final few weeks were spent at LifeCare of Jacksonville where he died Easter Sunday. On his last day of life, he called Lucy and told her how much he loved her. A little while later, he called out to his grandfathers repeatedly saying that he wanted to go home. And so he did.

Rev. Bell was predeceased by his parents, Angelo and Myrtle, his wife, Mavis and his brother, Lowell. He is survived by his son, Charles, his daughter, Susan (Ivy), his grandchildren, Jared Bell, Harper Bell-Kimbro and Emory Bell-Kimbro, brothers Charles (Irene), Milton (Anna) and sisters Ardys Clawson and Carolyn Lawrence (Jim).

He requested that in lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Children’s Home Society of Florida.