Obituary of William Henry Bell, Jr.

William Henry Bell Jr., 83, of Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully at his home on February 18, 2026.

Born on July 15, 1942, in Easton, Pennsylvania, Bill was the first of six children born to William and Dorothy Bell. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers, Karl and Ralph. He is survived by his siblings, Charles, Charlotte, and Barry.

Bill was a graduate of Easton High School. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Moravian University and later received a Master of Science degree from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

Bill honorably served in the United States Air Force from 1961 to 1965. He was stationed at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California, where he served as a radar operator with the 965th Squadron. During his enlistment, he completed an overseas tour in Okinawa and the Republic of South Korea. It was during this time abroad that he was first introduced to martial arts training—an experience that would have a lasting influence on his life.

Bill’s varied interests led him through several unique and fulfilling career paths. As a fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, he founded the successful Black Belt Academy, where he trained hundreds of martial arts students and athletes.

As a skilled designer and draftsman, Bill worked for Ingersoll Rand and Johns Manville as a tool designer. During his career, he contributed to work on tiles used on one of the NASA Space Shuttle program orbiters.

His passion for antiques and carpentry later led him into buying, refinishing, and selling antiques, turning craftsmanship into both art and livelihood. Even in retirement, Bill remained active, spending time as a court case videographer.

Bill was also a gifted artist who found great joy in sketching portraits and capturing scenes from everyday life. He enjoyed creating unique woodworking pieces, combining creativity and craftsmanship in everything he made.

Bill is survived by his three children and their families, including twelve grandchildren and one great-grandson.

His eldest son, Kevin, is married to Valerie. Kevin is the father of seven children: Kodey and his girlfriend Emily; Sharaya; Cierra and her husband Joseph; Katerina; Starlette; and the two youngest, Ariana and Trinity.

His daughter Kimberly has two children, Alex and Ashley. Ashley and her husband Kyle recently welcomed Bill’s great-grandson, Leo.

His daughter Deborah and her husband Mike reside in Denton, Texas. Deborah has two daughters, Rachel and Lexi.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Woodmont Ridge, 5265 Rockrose Lane, Allentown, PA 18104, on March 14th from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.