Carl "Butch" Lester Bell Jr.

Carl Lester Bell Jr. (71) “Butch,” long time middle Tennessee resident and devoted sports/wildlife enthusiast died August 17 at his home in Bellevue. A celebration of life service will be held September 1, 2023 at 12PM at Mount Olivet Funeral Home, 1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37210. A visitation will take place from 10AM to service time.

Born in Fort Campbell Kentucky on November 30, 1951, Butch was the son of the late Carl L. Bell and the late Mary Claire Gill. After attending St. Edwards Elementary and Glencliff High School in Nashville, Carl’s family moved to Williamson County where he graduated from Franklin High School in 1969. Then before graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 1973, he was involved with numerous student clubs and organizations including the nationally recognized R.O.T.C. Drill Team and the Sigma Nu Fraternity.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Business at MTSU, Butch was employed in a variety of sales occupations before embarking on a 40-year career with three different electronic sign companies. Never meeting a stranger, Butch worked on thousands of local, state and national sales accounts for Joslin, Cummings, and A-1signs; he was especially proud of his involvement with the popular Nissan Stadium giant TITAN signs and the instillation of the Mercury Man figure atop the Union Station building in Nashville.

Mr. Bell had many interests including sports at the high school, college and professional levels; Butch was often a season ticket holder to the football, basketball and baseball games for the Vanderbilt Commodores, the M.T.S.U. Blue Raiders, Nashville Predators and the Tennessee Titans, where he was also a founding PSL holder. An avid swimmer, black jack player, bowler, and golfer, Carl made five official-Hole in Ones in his life time and was a member of the Capital City and Sweat Hogs Golf Associations for 50 years.

A dinosaur, astronomy and zoo enthusiast, Mr. Bell and his best friend of many years Dianne Gregory enjoyed travelling around North America to visit many prehistoric sites, zoos and aquariums and space related museums. Once during a ten-year span, Butch and Dianne visited 48 recognized national and international zoos. Butch particularly enjoyed observing giraffes, gorillas and elephants--animals in which he was well read.

He is survived by his brothers: Terrence Anthony Bell of Nashville, Mark Thomas Bell of Murfreesboro, and Daniel Hugh Bell of Spring Hill; sister in law Gwen Provo Bell of Spring Hill, nieces, Kennedy Claire Bell of Phoenix, Lilly Elizabeth Clifton and nephew Austin Lee Smith of Nashville. In addition to his parents, Mr. Bell was preceded in death by his niece Vanessa May Bell and sister-in law Sara Beth Bell.

Honorary pallbearers include: The Sigma Nu Fraternity and the Sweat Hogs Golf Association.

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