Ruth Susan (Gitomer) Bell, 81, of Leawood, Kansas, passed away on March 7, 2023, at Colonial Oaks at Leawood, Kansas.
Ruth was born Jan. 10, 1942, in Baltimore, Maryland. She was the daughter of Sylvia and Harry Gitomer and the second oldest of four children. She grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and her family then moved to Miami, Florida, where she completed high school.
Her father would not let her go far for college, so the choice was the University of Miami. During the first week at the university, when she was still just 17, she hosted a party at her home and met a freshman from the Midwest: Allan Bell.
Allan ran a talent booking agency and worked for the university’s newspaper. He brought her to the events where his bands played, Miami football games, and to other events around town, and he began going steady with her after about eight weeks. He proposed to her before their senior year, and they were married in Miami on June 16, 1963, at the Seville Hotel in Miami Beach.
Apparently due to Allan’s skills of persuasion, he convinced her to leave Miami for the plains in Kansas City. Ruth supported Allan as he continued to run a talent booking agency, started a law practice and launched a travel agency. Ruth became an integral part of the Bell family, another daughter to Allan’s parents Dorothy and Morris, and a true sister to Allan’s siblings Michael, Carolyn and Beverly.
Ruth was an active volunteer in many organizations, and especially at Women's American ORT, where she helped raise money for the founding of Bramson ORT College, a private school that focused on preparing Jewish refugees and other immigrant students for careers. For many years, Ruth helped run the ORT holiday gift wrapping booth at Metcalf South Shopping Center.
Ruth loved golf and was a member at Meadowbrook Country Club for nearly 50 years. She and Allan both had holes-in-one on Meadowbrook’s famed 12th hole. For many years she and her best friend Barbara Rein ran the Meadowlark tournament.
Ruth’s true joy was her family, her children Allison and Jeff, and her grandchildren Jacob, Sophie, and Sylvia. She was a fixture at sporting events, dance competitions, and recitals. She was a proud grandmother, and her good cheer set a wonderful example for her children and grandchildren, and pieces of Ruth can be seen in all of them.
After Allan passed in 2020, Ruth lived on her own for the first time in her life. She handled this new challenge with her usual sturdy and cheerful attitude, and even after being diagnosed with cancer, she continued to live her life to the fullest. She battled hard until the end, because this is who she was.
Ruth is survived by her children, Jeffrey and Marla Bell of Leawood, and Allison and Michiel Pilgram of Jersey City, New Jersey. She is also survived by her grandchildren — Jacob Bell and his fiancée Jane Almeida of Portland, Oregon; Sophie Bell; and Sylvia Pilgram. She is also survived by her brother Charles Gitomer and her sister, Ellen Keen. She was predeceased by her brother Jerry Gitomer.
A celebration of Ruth’s life will be held at 6 p.m. on March 18 at Jeff and Marla’s home.
Ruth and her family wish to recognize the staff at Colonial Oaks and of Advanced Hospice for the loving and compassionate care she received during her final months.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be sent to Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City, 5801 W. 115th St. Suite 103, Overland Park, KS 66211, the American Cancer Society, or to the charity of your choice.
