Isabella Lee Spinazzola

Isabella (Bella) Lee Spinazzola, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was welcomed into the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, suddenly on Saturday, August 31, 2024. She was born on April 6, 2004 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Michelle Penny Spinazzola and Jeremy Spinazzola. She graduated from the New Haven School in Spanish Fork, Utah. She worked as a preschool teacher at The Goddard School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she touched many small lives with her enthusiasm for learning and art.

Bella’s life cannot be defined by the number of years she lived, but by her boundless capacity to love and be loved. Bella had a huge heart for working with children and the homeless in Philadelphia. She poured her love into all the children she worked with and her young siblings. She was invested in giving each child individual time and attention so that they would feel precious and special. Bella also ministered to the homeless in Philadelphia, spending many hours passing out food, blankets, and clothing in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, bringing her love and light to those struggling in darkness.

Bella was also a talented fashionista and artist who brightened the world with her warmth, color, and radiance. She had a unique and offbeat sense of style that brought a smile to everyone who saw her. Her clothing combinations were so striking that strangers would often photograph her on the street. Bella also loved expressing herself through art and she passed along that love of art to her students, spending many hours preparing elaborate art projects for them to do together in the classroom.

Bella is preceded in death by her biological father Shane McConnell, her biological grandfather Frederick McConnell, and her dear friend Janice Rice. Bella is survived by her loving parents, Michelle and Jeremy Spinazzola; siblings, JJ, Sammy, and Birdie Spinazzola; maternal grandparents, Harry and Susan Penny; paternal grandparents, Dan and Karen Spinazzola; biological grandmother, Phyllis McConnell and family; aunts and uncles, Heather (Penny) and Adam Green, Jayme (Spinazzola) and Bryce Hallinan, Julie (Spinazzola) and Tyler Skipper; and many young cousins who looked up to her.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 6, 2024 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 104 Louella Ave. Wayne, PA 19087, with visitation from 9 a.m. until time of service. Burial will be private in Sky-View Memorial Park, Tamaqua, PA.

Memorial gifts in the form of contributions may be made to Small Things Ministry at www.smallthingsphilly.org