January 15, 1962 ~ October 20, 2026
Stewart Maxwell Bell passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Born on January 15, 1962, to William M. Bell, Jr. and Bobbie L. Bell, Stewart was raised in Fayetteville with his sister Anne and brother Thomas.
After graduating from Fayetteville Academy in 1980, Stewart graduated from Campbell University in 1984. Stewart, along with life-long friend Shawn Harris, spent his college summers traveling the country producing the Miss United States Teenager Beauty Pageants.
In 1983 he was introduced to Gwen Poole through his sister Anne. Stewart and Gwen were married at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church on November 1, 1986.
Upon graduating college, Stewart returned to his father’s family business, Bell’s Seed Store. Over his decades as the third-generation owner and operator of Bell’s Seed Store, Stewart expanded the business – in both physical size and scale – and celebrated the store’s 100th anniversary in 2019.
Stewart was a dedicated business owner and a constant presence on Russell Street and he knew there was no replacement for great customer service. While Stewart enjoyed the hard work of running a business, he especially appreciated the daily conversations and interactions with customers, many of whom became close friends.
Stewart spent the past several years imparting his breadth of knowledge to his sons, Andrew and Hunter, and preparing for the successful transition to the fourth-generation of family ownership.
Stewart was raised in First Baptist Church of Fayetteville where he was baptized. He joined Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in 1986, and he has been an active member ever since. Stewart served multiple terms as Deacon, participated in numerous Sunday School classes, and provided an incredible example of devout faith and ministry to his family. He also served as Emeritus Board Member of the Salvation Army of the Sandhills.
Over the many phases of life that Stewart enjoyed, there was nothing on this Earth that he cherished more than his family. Stewart never missed an opportunity to show Andrew, Mary Stewart or Hunter his unwavering love. Once his children had graduated college and entered the professional world, Stewart enjoyed visiting them in Raleigh, Washington, DC, and Wilmington. He valued spending time with them on long walks, visiting museums, traveling on the campaign trail, and even attending White House Christmas parties.
As Stewart turned from “Daddy” to “Grandaddy”, his heart grew immeasurably with every addition to his family. Over the last few years, he loved sharing all his favorite places on Earth, such as the North Carolina Mountains, with his favorite people – his grandchildren. The size of the backyard inflatable pool seemed to grow every summer; and suddenly, the man who spent a career helping others take care of their yards, traded brown spots in his grass for joyful screams from his grandchildren. Anderson, Corinne, Josey, and Anne Maxwell were blessed to be loved by Stewart for their entire lives, and he was incredibly excited for the newest addition to the family – Owen, who joined the Bell family on the evening of October 22, 2026.
Holidays and celebrations always included Thomas, Anne and Tom, his nephews Benjamin, Jamie and Alex, and cousin Amy McDonald. Stewart was looking forward to celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary to Gwen on November 1, 2026. As Stewart and Gwen prepared to sit under their own vine and fig tree, they knew that wherever life led, the draw would be back to their family.
Stewart was predeceased by his father, William M. Bell, Jr., and his mother, Bobbie L. Bell; and his sister, Mary Anne Bell Keith.
Stewart is survived by his wife, Gwen Bell; his son, Andrew and wife Stacey and grandchildren Anderson and Corinne; daughter Mary Stewart Sullivan and husband Brian and granddaughter Anne Maxwell; and son Hunter and wife Shannon and grandsons Josey and Owen; his brother Thomas Bell; his brothers-in-law Tom Keith and Parker Poole; and his nephews Benjamin Keith and wife Brittany and their children Caleb, Seth and Aiden; Jamie Keith, and Alex Keith and his wife Juliana. He is also survived by his aunt, Jeanette Long Kelly.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 28 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Rogers & Breece Funeral Home at 500 Ramsey Street. A funeral service will be held at 1:00pm on Thursday, October 29 at First Baptist Church of Fayetteville at 201 Anderson Street, with burial to follow at Lafayette Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Fayetteville at 201 Anderson Street, The Salvation Army of the Sandhills or The Care Clinic in Fayetteville, North Carolina.