John Woodburn Bell Jr.

Mr. John Woodburn Bell, Jr., 91, (Johnny) passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at Live Oak Retirement Center after a long, beautiful life.
Born on February 11, 1933, Johnny was a native and resident of Shreveport, Louisiana for 91 years. He grew up attending St. Mark's Episcopal Church. He received his education from South Highlands Elementary & Middle School, C. E. Byrd High School, and LSU. He proudly served in the United States Army, stationed in Alaska, although he never recovered from the cold being a good ole Louisiana boy.
He met the love of his life, Jeanette Bernard Bell while attending LSU in Baton Rouge, and they were married for 65 wonderful years. They shared an unmatched life, and love for the LSU Tigers.
He retired from the Bowlin Company, where he made many lifelong friends. In retirement, he enjoyed coaching and watching his grandchildren's sporting events. His great-grandchildren brought him an insurmountable amount of joy for the last several years of his life. Johnny was a dog lover who also thoroughly enjoyed duck hunting and fishing.
Johnny was preceded in death by his parents, John Woodburn Bell, Sr., and Virginia Mitchell Bell; son, John Woodburn Bell, III (Jay); brothers-in-law, Jack Harris, Willie Verret (Boo), and Jerry Hebert; and sister-in-law, Patricia Hebert.
He was survived by his wife, Jeanette Bernard Bell of 65 years; daughter, Susan Bell Hall and her husband, Carl Leon Hall, Jr. of Shreveport, LA; son, Brian Joseph Bell, and his wife, Lori Heflin Bell of Tyler, Texas; grandchildren, Austin Hall (Mandi), Chase Hall (Mikayla), Taylor Hall, Parker J. Hall, Brandon Bell, and Lauren Bell; great-grandchildren, Hooper Hall, Piper Hall, and Marlowe Hall; sister, Virginia Bell Harris; sister-in-law, Linda Verret Spencer and her husband, Charles Spencer; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 1:00-2:00 p.m., with a memorial service between 2:00-2:30 p.m., Saturday, December 21, 2024, at Osborn Funeral Home. A private inurnment at North West Louisiana Veteran Cemetery is to follow, at a later date.
Honorary Pallbearers: Austin Hall, Chase Hall, Taylor Hall, Parker J. Hall, and Brandon Bell.
The family requests that memorials be made in lieu of flowers to C. E. Byrd Alumni Association or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The family would also like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Scott Boniol, Dr. Richard Haynie, Dr. Donald Posner, and Dr. Ray Smith. Thank you, especially to both Dr. Posner and Dr. Smith, for the joy you brought him through your conversations about duck hunting; Pam Lee and Brittany LeBlanc for your loving care at Live Oak; loving family friends, Karen and Michael Robinson, and Angela and Tim Ullmer for their numerous visits and thoughtful treats.