Joseph Luther Bell, Sr.

Greensboro – Mr. Joseph Luther Bell, Sr., 99, passed away peacefully at the NC State Veterans Home on July 27, 2026. Luther was born in Hamptonville, NC on May 11, 1927, to the late Hugh Shadrick Bell and Lillian Miller Bell. In addition to his parents, Luther was preceded in death by his daughter, Felicia Dawn Bell, and his brother, Hugh Miller Bell.

Luther is survived by his wife of 70 years, Jeanette Bruner Bell; his sons, Don Antonio Bell (Angie) of Las Vegas, NV, and Joseph Luther Bell, Jr. (Amy) of Rocky Mount, NC; daughter, Laura Ann Bell (Michael) of Greensboro, NC; sister, Margaret Ann Bryant (Charles); and nephews, Jeffrey Bryant (Trisha) and Darren Bell of Hamptonville, NC.

Luther is also survived by grandchildren, Ryan Bell (Serena), Regan Bell, Riley Bell, Kylen Huntwork Ribeiro (Alan), Connor Huntwork, Spencer Bell (Veronica), Caroline Bell (Josh), Forrest Bell, and Jackson McCann. He is also survived by great-grandchildren, Vincent Ribeiro, Sebastian Ribeiro, Adelia Ribeiro, and Hampton Bell.

Luther lived a life of adventure and accomplishment. He left home at the age of seventeen to join the Navy and served as a radio operator on board the USS St. George (AV-16) (a Kenneth Whiting Class Seaplane Tender) in the Pacific Theater during WWII. Once the war concluded, Luther also served as part of the United States’ occupation force in Sasebo, Japan.

Luther was the first in his family to attend and graduate from college when he graduated from North Carolina State College (now University) in 1954. After graduation, Luther returned to Hamptonville, where he taught school for a brief time before accepting a position with the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, which took him and Jeanette to Nicaragua. While there, they spent time in the home of the US Ambassador but also experienced a major earthquake and martial law in the wake of the assassination of the country’s president.

It was not until Luther began his career with the Federal Aviation Administration in 1957 that he found his true calling. Luther spent thirty years working with the FAA in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Greensboro. After retiring from the FAA, Luther returned to the classroom, teaching aviation courses at Guilford Technical Community College for several years before retiring completely in 1992.

In later years, Luther researched the genealogy of the Bell and Miller families and, based upon his research, proudly claimed the title of longest-living member of either family.

A celebration of life service will be conducted on August 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the sanctuary at Flat Rock Baptist Church in Hamptonville with Dr. Joey Tomlin officiating. Burial will follow in the Flat Rock Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the church.

The family would like to express special thanks to the staff at the NC State Veterans Home and to the personnel at Pruitt Health Hospice and Palliative Care, who provided supportive and loving care to Luther.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Flat Rock Baptist Church, P.O. Box 267, Hamptonville, NC 27020, Attn: Cemetery Fund.

Online condolences may be made at www.gentryfuneralservice.com. Gentry Family Funeral Service in Yadkinville is serving the Bell family.