John David Bell - Class of 1956
John David Bell, 87, passed away peacefully at his place of residence in Schwenksville, PA on Tuesday October 7th after an extended period of declining health.
Born on July 15, 1938 in Frankford, John was the son of the late John Sterling Bell and Florence (Birney Hayes) Bell and brother to the late Eugene Bell.
John was a 1956 graduate of Mastbaum High School.
John married the love of his life, Carol Kronmiller, on January 16, 1965. Together they had two children, John David Bell Jr. (Jackie) and Nicole Bell (Mike Overholt).
While the children were growing up, John and his family delighted in their annual trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Many fond memories were made there with visits to Hart's Turkey Farm, the Cog Railway, Mt. Washington and drives along the Kancamagus Highway.
John loved model trains and had a full setup in the basement of the long time family home at 4626 Pilling St, Frankford. A handy man, John could often be found doing projects around the house.
John was a long time member of Frankford Baptist Church, where he served as a trustee. He was also a long time member of a local bowling league. John enjoyed movies and reading books, often those related to World War II and military history.
John was an avid fan of the Phillies. The family firmly believes that the Phillies performance in the first two games of their playoff series against the Dodgers contributed to his passing.
John was a long time employee of Appliance Parts Distributors (APD) and worked a single man storefront in Lansdale for more than 30 years, starting in the 1980s and retiring in 2015.
After his wife's passing in 2010, John lived for a number of years with his son Dave, then later with his daughter Nicole, where he passed on much grandfatherly wisdom to his three grandchildren, Julia, Evan and Rebecca Overholt.
A celebration of John's life will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. There will be a viewing starting at 10 AM followed by a funeral service at 11 AM, at Carmel Presbyterian Church,100 Edge Hill Rd, Glenside, PA 19038. Internment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 333 County Line Rd, Somerton. A gathering of family and friends will be held immediately afterwards at Maggio's Restaurant, 400 Second Street Pike, Southampton. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John, please visit our floral store.