Johnnie Bell Roundtree

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Ms. Johnnie Bell Fant Roundtree, who departed this earth and gained her wings at age 82, at midnight on Sunday, November 2, 2025, in Naples, Florida.
Johnnie Bell was born on May 4, 1943, in Anderson, South Carolina, to her father Mr. John Henry Fant and mother Mrs. Idell Richey Fant. She attended Reid Street School and continued on to Westside High School. She met and fell in love with Chalie Frank Roundtree Jr., and they were married on January 10, 1961. From their union came two children, Charles and Lajuana. After her early years of marriage, she chose a new path and moved to New York, where she devoted herself to raising her children, later adding two more, Bentley and Audeidra.
Embracing fresh opportunities, Johnnie Bell began her early work in domestic service and retail, later serving at the New York City Liquor Authority. Determined to continue her education, she returned to school and proudly earned her High School Diploma in 1977 - a milestone that reflected her resilience and dedication. She then went on to devote 25 years to the NYC Department of Human Resources, where she retired, leaving behind a legacy of commitment and perseverance.
From the time she was a child, books were her constant companions. She was an avid reader, and it was rare to see her without a book in hand. Her love of learning and imagination carried into every part of her life. She expressed her creativity through sewing, arts and crafts, and music. She played the piano and sang beautifully, once even winning first place at the famous Apollo Theater.
Johnnie Bell will be remembered for her kind heart and generous spirit. A great cook, she enjoyed feeding anyone who came through her door, and her home was always open to those in need of comfort or shelter. She had a soft spot for animals and never turned away the strays her children brought home, treating them with the same love she gave her family.
Johnnie Bell Fant Roundtree was preceded in death by her father John Henry Fant and her mother Idell Richey Fant; her brother Alvin Perry Fant; her sister Helen Fant Martin; her sons Charles Anthony Roundtree and Bentley Allen Roundtree; and her daughter Lajuana Roundtree.
She is survived by her daughter Audeidra Elise Roundtree Jones; her brother Melvin Jerry Fant; her grandchildren Keemanee Dickens, Ashanti Dickens Giordano, LaKenya Dickens, Lajuana K. Radcliffe, Kevin B. Roundtree, Paris S. Roundtree Hutchins, Italy C. Taylor, Lance T. Jones Jr., Khrishdon D. Jones, and Xavian J. Capers; 13 great grandchildren; 2 great great grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, extended and adopted family, and friends.
The service will stream live from the Unity Mortuary Facebook page.