Robert "Bobby" was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, the son of an active duty Air Force Master Sergeant and spent his early years traveling the globe with his family. He moved to Manning in 1972 where he attended Manning Schools. He moved with his family to Arizona in 1977. He worked for over 30 years at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, retiring in March of 2015. At the time of his death he was enjoying retirement at Rolling Hills Ranch, an independent senior living community in Omaha. When he was not watching football or baseball, he enjoyed fishing and boating with cousins Starre and Bill Haney at Beaver Lake, Nebraska.

Preceded in death by parents, Robert and Carol (McInerny Kennedy) Bell; grandparents, Mose and Velma Bell; aunt and uncle, Sondra and Mervin Christensen; uncle, Bradley Bell. Survived by brothers, Brent and Sheldon Bell; sister, Dacia Lerma; nephew, Nicholas Lerma, all of Phoenix, Arizona; aunt, Karen Huffman-Bell of Anita, Iowa; cousins: Starre Haney (Bill) of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Renee Stangl (Dale) of Manning, Michael Christensen (Trish Trucke) of Lake City, and Tonya Bell of Grand Isle, Louisiana; many other family and friends.