Robert (Bob) Bell

Robert (Bob) Bell, age 77 years, of Raritan Township, NJ, died peacefully at Hunterdon Care Center, Raritan Township, NJ on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, surrounded by his cherished family.

Bob was born in Hershey, PA, on June 17, 1945. He was born on Father’s Day. Soon after, his family moved to Lancaster, PA. Bob always said that he had a wonderful childhood with his older sister, Linda, and younger brother, Richard. This was a family who loved to travel. By the time Bob was twelve, he had seen most of the National Parks in the US.

Bob was an outstanding student in High School and was in the honors program all four years at Mannheim Township High School. He was in the school band and orchestra, where he played the trombone. After High School, he attended Franklin and Marshall College on a full scholarship. He received his Master’s Degree in Chemistry from Rutgers University, again on a full scholarship.

Bob was naturally bright, did extremely well on the SATs, and always sailed through his education years without opening a book, as he liked to say.

After graduating from Rutgers, he taught chemistry at Monmouth College and several NJ high schools.  He liked to say that he chose teaching so that he could have the summers off to travel. As it turned out, he was a very good chemistry teacher. He had a knack for making chemistry fun and he was well respected by his students and colleagues.

At Rutgers, he met and married Lee. She also received a Master’s Degree in Library Science and worked for the Rutgers Library.

After Bob and Lee were married for three years, they sold all their belongings, put a few clothes in backpacks and traveled throughout Europe for a year. Their travels took them as far south as Morocco and Israel and as far north as the Arctic Circle. They also traveled as far east as Greece and Turkey. They still have the 1000 picture “slides” of their adventures.

When they returned to NJ, Bob resumed high school teaching and Lee became a children’s librarian. In 1978, their daughter, Heather was born. She followed in her dad’s footsteps by getting a full scholarship to Rutgers. However, hers was through intelligence and hard work. The Bell family was lucky to eventually have the same school schedule so that they could continue to travel during school holidays and the summer.

Bob loved his home on two acres of land in Hillsborough, NJ.  Every year he planted an array of beautiful flowers. His three bird feeders were always a source of curiosity and fascination.  With his binoculars and bird book, he loved to check off the huge variety of birds that he saw. 

Bob and Lee were able to retire early and continue visiting new places.

Bob was known for his sense of humor and witty observations about the world.

He lived the life he wanted. He was blessed with two amazing grandchildren and he could truly say that he completed his “bucket list”.

I like to think that he is now on the ultimate journey. 

Cremation services were private under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

You are encouraged to visit Bob’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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