Former Horry County fire chief, local deacon, Vietnam veteran dies at 74
Robert “Larry” Bell passed away last Wednesday, Sept. 7, at South Strand Medical Center, according to his obituary. He was 74 years old.
He wore many hats, as his granddaughter, Rocquellia Bell, said. Bell was a fire chief at Horry County Station 17 in Mount Vernon for 30 years, a Vietnam veteran, a tobacco farmer and a deacon at McNeil Chapel Missionary Baptist.
“He met a lot of people and he touched a lot of people in positive ways,” his granddaughter said. “He’s a lifetime member of the DAV in Conway as a disabled veteran. In his retirement from Grand Strand, he started doing more work with the VA, like going to counseling sessions and connecting with other veterans and talking about their experiences.”
The Bell family describes Larry as a family man. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Hazel, three children, one son-in-law, one daughter-in-law, five grandchildren, and ten great grand children.
“He was real big on family and God. He always kept God first,” Rocquellia said. “He prayed with us, he kept us in line and he was a great leader of our family and our community, always willing to lend a helping hand.”
