Elizabeth Washington Spottswood Bell

She was born in 1946 in Montgomery AL at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She attended Augusta Evans Elementary, Phillips Preparatory School, and was a 1964 graduate of Murphy High School in Mobile where she was recognized as an Azalea Trail Maid. She attended the University of Montevallo (AL) and was a member of the first graduating class in 1968 of the University of South Alabama (USA) in Mobile, where she was secretary of the Student Government Association, selected as a calendar girl for the annual calendar and a bat girl for the USA Jags baseball team, served on the committee at USA to select the university’s mascot as the Jaguar, and also assisted in forming the initial chapter of Kappa Delta sorority on campus and also was honored to have served on the USA Alumni Board of Directors.

She and her husband lived in several cities including Decatur GA, Montgomery AL, Lufkin TX, and Auburn AL. Mrs. Bell was a life-long educator, having taught at many levels of school, including elementary, middle, special education and college. She was honored to be named the Special Education Teacher of the Year and was also a member of P.E.O. and the Junior League of Mobile.

She was the great-granddaughter of Edward P. Smith, who was the president of the former Howard College (1875-76), which later became Samford University in Birmingham, and great, great-granddaughter of Patrick Hughes Mell, president of the University of Georgia (1878-88) as well as the eighth great-granddaughter of Alexander Spotswood, the first Lt. Governor of the colony of Virginia.

Mrs. Bell and her parents helped found the Pixie Players and the Mobile Puppetry Guild in Mobile. She was active in teaching marionettes to children and adults for many years. She was a board member of the Mobile Museum of Art.

She served as an active member of Dauphin Way United Methodist Church for many years, having been involved in many programs there. After retiring from teaching in 2008, she assisted her husband in his financial services business for several years, in addition to enjoying time with her grandchildren and her basket weaving and bridge ladies groups at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church. S

he and her husband loved to travel and loved the lake. She was always doing things for others, giving her time and talents to those in need. She was truly loved by so many and loved all. Her sweet soul and kindness will live on in the many lives she touched. Mrs. Bell leaves this world a better place f¬or having been involved in our lives.

She is survived by her husband James W. Bell of Mobile, son Christopher W. (Mary Ravine) Bell of Birmingham and daughter Barclay (David) Avant of Auburn. She also was very proud of all her grandchildren, including McLean Bell, Gage Bell, Sutton Smith, Jackson Smith, and Manning Smith, Mackenzie Avant, and Brooke Avant. She is also survived by a sister Martha Ann (David) Pilcher of Monteagle, TN, and sister in law Julie Carter (Corky), sister-in-law Jane Singleton and numerous cousins and extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Manning and Maribeth Spottswood and brother, Ted Spottswood.

Due to Covid-19 issues, the family is carefully planning a limited-attendance service to be held at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church on Sunday, August 23 at 1 pm. Details on how this will be managed will be available soon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests those interested make a donation or volunteer at the Dauphin Way United Methodist Church “Bell Courtyard” or the United Methodist Inner City Mission in Mobile.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com for the Bell family.