Rubie Crosby Bell

Rubie Crosby Bell passed away peacefully on Sept. 22, 2016 surrounded by her daughters in her home here in San Antonio. Rubie Saunders Crosby was born in El Paso on Jan. 15, 1925 to Ruby Saunders Crosby, and Stanley Warfield Crosby. She was raised in El Paso, TX and Roswell, New Mexico and received a Bachelor's degree from Vassar College and a MBA in Social Work from Tulane University.

She married Bryan Bell, her true love, in 1950 and they were together 59 years until his death. Deeply committed to family, they raised five children in New Orleans: Rubie Bell Gosnell (Dr. Peter) of New Concord, OH; Helen Elizabeth Bell (Dr. Gary Larson) of Oakland, CA; Bryan Bell, Jr. (Victoria) of Raleigh, NC; Beverly Saunders Bell of New Orleans and Honduras; and Barbara Bell Barrett (Rev. John) of Midland, TX.

Rubie worked as a social worker in the Department of Psychiatry at the Tulane Medical School. Yet she soon found that clinical interventions were insufficient in meeting complex problems. She believed that the key to transformation was bringing people to Jesus - whom she had first met at age 3 - and letting Him work in their lives. She quit her job and dedicated her life to serving Jesus and trying to lead others to Him.

Rubie was very involved in Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans, where she served on the board of the Women of Trinity Church, taught Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. She was also active in the Trinity Christian Community. She was on the executive committee of the Greater New Orleans Federation of Churches, was co-founder and president of Uptown Women's Aglow, and was coordinator of the Jesus Video Project. Rubie was the initial chair of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusade in New Orleans, chair of the Christian Spirit of '98 and of donations for Angel Tree of the Prison Fellowship, and was a leader in other Christian initiatives.

Rubie was an engaged volunteer in the NOLA community, together with her husband. She served as president of the Lighthouse for the Blind Auxiliary; president of the Vassar Club of LA and of New Orleans; and board member of the NOLA Junior League and other non-profit organizations. She was a hostess for numerous meetings and fundraisers, as well as social gatherings, in the historic Musson-Bell home in the Garden District.

She received the Federation of Churches Dorothy Coleman Caring Cup in 2000, jointly with her husband. She was honored as a Spiritual Matriarch by The Elijah Task in 2008 also in NOLA.

In addition to her children, Rubie is survived by 12 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans, LA. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 3:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the New Orleans Mission.

A reception honoring Rubie will be held in San Antonio, on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2-4pm at The Towers on Park Lane.