Rev. Earl S. Bell

March 30, 1926 - February 9, 2015

Rev. Earl S. Bell, 88, Frankfort, died Monday, Feb. 9, at Taylor Manor Nursing Home in Versailles. A native of Lexington, he was the son of the late Rom E. Bell and Mary Frances Enlow Bell. He is survived by his wife, Linda, of Frankfort; two daughters, Carey Durrett (Bill) and Allison Bell, both of Frankfort; a son, Mark Bell (Eva), of Harlan; and grandchildren Angie Parker, Matthew Durrett, Courtney Bell, Jeremy Bell, John Bell, and a great granddaughter; Kaitlyn Parker. Rev. Bell was called to the ministry at age 16 and served as an ordained Baptist minister for over 60 years, with fulltime ministries at Southern Baptist churches in Woodford, Boyle, Franklin and Harlan counties in Kentucky, as well as in Tucson, AZ, and Pulaski, VA. He also held several interim ministries with churches across Central Kentucky. In Frankfort, he was pastor of Memorial Baptist Church on Holmes St. in the early 1950s and Calvary Baptist Church at the Forks of Elkhorn Creek through the 1980s. He was a 1944 graduate of Danville High School, received a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown College, a master of theology degree from Southern Seminary in Louisville and a master of history degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson. At the time of his retirement, he had served for over a decade as chaplain at the Frankfort Career Development Center where his efforts were recognized with the 2009 Commissioner’s Award from the Kentucky Department of Corrections. He was a chaplain emeritus of Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc., and deacon emeritus of First Baptist Church in Frankfort. Truly committed to be in service to others, he was a constant participant in the life of every community in which he lived. In the 1950s, he was a member of the Parks and Recreation Board in Frankfort when projects like the Juniper Hills Park was begun. He was a proud member for many years of the Committee of 101 where he happily stood for many hours assisting UK fans at Rupp Arena and Commonwealth Stadium Severely crippled by a drunk driver as a young man, his experience impassioned his life’s work in medical, legal and political circles. He served as a member of the Kentucky Baptist Hospital board and was concurrently a member of the board of Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington. In his time at Harlan, he was a member of the community board of Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital and was instrumental in developing the certified chaplaincy program adopted by the ARH system. He served a term as state president of the Kentucky Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, with his lobbying efforts contributing to successfully lowering the legal limit for impaired driving. During his years in Arizona, Rev. Bell was a trustee of Grand Canyon College. His mission outreach included extensive support for the Hawaii Baptist Academy in Honolulu as a member of its Mainland Advisory Council in collaboration with a college classmate and lifelong friend, Dan Kong, who was a minister and administrator of the school. Matthew Durrett, Courtney Bell, Jeremy Bell, John S. Bell, Blake Enlow and Asa Overall will serve as pallbearers. Deacons of First Baptist Church will serve as honorary pallbearers. Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 14, at First Baptist Church, 201 St. Clair Street, Frankfort, Ky 40601. Dr. David Hinson, Dr. Robert F. Browning, and Rev. Truett Cocanougher will officiate. Burial will follow in Frankfort Cemetery. Visitation will be 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Friday, February 13, and 11:00 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday at the church. Contributions may be made to Scholarship Endowment Fund, Hawaii Baptist Academy, 420 Wyllie Street, Honolulu, HI 96817 or Mission Frankfort Clinic, First Baptist Church, 201 St. Clair Street, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601.