Joshua Bell

Josh was born on August 12, 1990, at Mt. Carmel Hospital to parents Dr. Keith and Toni Bell. He attended Lincoln Elementary and Middle School South in Gahanna, where he participated in track, football, and basketball. He then attended Gahanna Lincoln High School, where he played basketball and football. Josh graduated from Gahanna Lincoln in 2009 and went on to attend the University of Cincinnati, majoring in communications, and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2015. During his time at UC, he began working with Waffle House, where he remained until going home to be with the Lord on December 23rd, 2025.

Josh was a rabid fan of Michigan Wolverines College Football, Philadelphia NFL Football, Miami Heat NBA, Columbus Crew MLS, and Detroit Tigers MLB. He had the opportunity to see all his favorite teams in person and attended the NBA Finals in Miami with his mom and dad. He enjoyed anything that involved competition and teamwork. During his time in Cincinnati, he ran the hills and streets of Cincinnati before going to work, then spent time communicating with his many friends on social media. He also enjoyed playing kickball with his friends, and on the Saturdays he had off from work, that’s where he would be. He played soccer during his early years, and his teams traveled in and out of Ohio to compete and were quite successful. He was an essential part of these teams. He was a “grinder” and a consummate team player.

Josh was a fantastic son, brother, nephew, friend, and grandson, and was a joy to be around. Josh was not only raised by his parents but also by the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church family under the leadership of the late Pastor Dr. G. Thomas Turner Sr. He was a regular student in Sunday school, participated in many of the youth activities, attended and worked with his mom in Vacation Bible School and church daycare, and was part of the youth choir. Josh accepted Christ at the age of 9 years old and was dedicated at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church at six months. We celebrate his life, where he received his foundation.

Josh studied the news and could articulate trends in politics, education, and sports. While Josh was quiet (most of the time), he was firm in his convictions and stood his ground on many controversial topics. He was interesting to talk to and a joy to watch grow throughout the years. He would do his research to ensure that whatever he was hearing had merit and could be verified by fact. He was innovative, intuitive, inspirational, and inclusive in his interactions, which is why he made so many friends in Gahanna, Columbus, and Cincinnati.

Josh and his brother Keith Jr., while close, were polar opposites in direction. Keith Jr. attended Bowling Green State University (North), so Josh went as far as he could (South) to the University of Cincinnati. As they started their careers, Keith Jr. landed a position with Disney in Orlando (South), so Josh stayed in Cincinnati to work with Waffle House (North). Regardless of the distance, the boys remained close into adulthood and enjoyed traveling together on many family vacations and other adventures to catch up on each other and discuss how they were navigating life. We enjoyed listening to them argue and debate, as kids and even into adulthood, over Ohio State/Michigan, as Keith Jr. was all Ohio State (South) and Josh “Pure Michigan” (North). It was like the Civil War!

There are so many other outstanding qualities about this young man that can only be hinted at in this description. He made a lot of friends and did a lot in his 35 years of life. This has been a tremendous loss to our family, but we all take comfort in knowing that he not only knew the Lord but also practiced the traits of Christ throughout his life. He knew who he was and he knew “Whose” he was. His parents are thankful that the Lord gave us such a gift to care for, nurture, and watch grow into adulthood. Throughout his life, we tried to do our best with that gift the Lord had given us, but over time, HE saw how hard Josh had been working and grinding in the field and decided that 35 years of struggle and challenges on this side were good enough for him and said, “Come on home, Joshua Anthony Bell. Close your eyes and rest. I got you!”