Henry H. Bell
Henry H. Bell (April 3, 1927 - January 30, 2012) was a director of the J.F. Bell Funeral Home and businessman from Charlottesville, Virginia.[1]
Biography
Bell was born in Charlottesville to the owner and director of the J.F. Bell Funeral Home, John Ferris Bell, and his wife Maude Bell.[2] He is the twin brother of Raymond L. Bell. The family lived at 108 6th Street NW. Bell attended and graduated from the Jefferson School, and enlisted in the military following World War II, serving in West Germany. He attended West Virginia State University before graduating from the Boston School of Mortuary Science in Boston.
Upon his return to Charlottesville, Bell joined the family's funeral home business and got married to Verlease Jackson. It was his idea to switch from black to white funeral vehicles, and was considered an expert embalmer. He and his brother opened the business up to sponsoring local athletics and community projects, be they youth baseball, church anniversaries, or NAACP fundraisers.
Alongside his leadership of the funeral home, Bell and his wife ran Quality Retail Store, a grocery store in Vinegar Hill that moved to Fifth Street following the neighborhood's demolition by the city. Their store was noted for staying open late and allowing customers to purchase on credit when they did not have cash available. Bell was known as a father figure to his employees, several of whom referred to him as "Dad."[1]
Henry and Verlease founded Courtesy Cab, the first Black-owned taxi company in Charlottesville. Courtesy was created in response to the fact that Black patrons were regularly ignored by white-owned taxis. Bell spent decades driving an ambulance for African-Americans in Charlottesville, at a time when white ambulance drivers chose not to.
Another of Bell's business interests was the restaurant industry. He founded Henry Jr. Burger House on Commerce Street and could be found there regularly taking orders on the weekend.
Henry had three children, a son, Dr. Henry Bell Jr., and two daughters, Deborah Bell Burks and Sabrina Bell Carter. Deborah and her husband, Col. Marvin Burks III, took over the J.F. Bell Funeral Home following his death in 2012, making them the third direct generation to run the business