Mary Gabrieleen Bell, affectionately known as Gay, Gay Bell, Ma Bell, Gabaleen Bell, and any other construction of her middle name, was born on November 4, 1929, to Gabriel J. Tyler and Nannie E. Tyler. She was their third out of four children.

Growing up in North Akron she attended Akron Public Schools where she graduated from North High School. After graduation, she attended HBCU West Virginia State.

As a child she attended Wesley Temple AME Zion Church and became a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church.

Mary met and married Johnny N. Bell on October 25, 1952. Out of this union were born sons, Larry Jerome, Lance Jurrell and Johnny Nathaniel II, and daughter, Cheryl LaVonne.

Mary joined Johnny and the Bell family at Mount Olive Baptist Church where her father-in-law, Simon and mother-in-law, Marion, held the office of Deacon and Deaconess. She served faithfully as Church Clerk for many years.

Mary was employed by the Summit County Welfare Department for thirty-three years, retiring as Switchboard Supervisor. After retirement, she was committed to her fitness routines which she carried out religiously at the YMCA. They included weightlifting, step-aerobics, and walking. She also was an avid hiker, participating in the Summit County Hiking Spree where she earned her staff and many trail badges. She also was a volunteer for the Meals-On-Wheels Program.

There’s one thing Mary never did, and that was “be still!” She was always busy doing something or helping people.

Mary was preceded in death by mother and father, Gabriel and Nannie Tyler; brothers, Donald W. and James Creighton Tyler; her husband, Johnny N. Bell; sister, Doris M. Simon, and daughter-in-law, Valerie D. Bell.

Mary is survived by her children, Larry Jerome Bell (Monica), Cheryl LaVonne Bailey (Ronald), Rev. Lance Jurrell Bell (Julia), and Johnny Nathaniel Bell Jr. (Jeanine); grandchildren, Reginald Ray Bailey (Tamika), Shawnese Nicole Henderson, Tina Anita Bell, Cher’Ron Gabrielle Bailey, Tasha Marie Moore (Christopher Sr), Marcus Thorne, Kalila T. Bell (Jack Lorenze), Kahlil N. Bell, and Kedar J. Bell; great grandchildren, Nya Bailey, Christopher Moore Jr, Carter Moore, Cameron Moore, Jayla Talley, Jade Talley, and Nasir Hutchins Nylah Hutchins; sisters-in-law, Reaner Lee Nora Jackson (Milton), Gladys Ballard (Demascus), and Josie Lindsay (Benjamin); sisters-in-law, Gwendolyn Bell (Kermit), Betty Joe Bell (Simon James), and Delores Bell (Ellis) and all the aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins of this great family.