Rachel Ann Phillips Bell, age 73, of Texarkana, AR, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, July 25, 2024. She was born on August 26, 1950 in Texarkana, TX to Jack and Imogene Phillips. She was preceded in death by her father, Jack Phillips, her mother, Imogene Phillips, her son Phillip McCright, and her brother, Jackie Phillips. Ms. Bell attended First Baptist Church Moores Lane, an avid volunteer and supporter of Haven Homes, and a joyful member of the Hardy Hearts Yoga Group. Ms. Bell spent her working days as the Assistant to the Service Manager of AutoNation BMW Dallas. She enjoyed 18 wonderful months of retirement, in a beautiful apartment made just for her, in her daughter’s backyard. On nice mornings, she enjoyed sitting on her patio drinking coffee, staying up-to-date on the Republican Party, and “crushing candy” on her phone…a past-time that tickled her to play with her great grandsons.
She was a sports fan and, second to faithfully watching her grandson play baseball, she loved cheering on “America’s teams”. In the springtime you could catch her in a Texas Rangers shirt and a Dallas Cowboys jersey in the fall. She was an avid “weather-watcher”. She delighted in the thrill of a good thunderstorm and if she wasn’t so terrified of tornadoes, she would surely be out chasing one.
Ms. Bell was never one to turn down a trip to “win big” on the slots. On a random weekday you could find her in Idabel playing the one-armed bandit. Combine that with her huge love for Elvis, and she would have made an excellent Vegas resident.
None of these things though compare to her love for her family and her friends. She loved her children and grandchildren fiercely. Her great grandsons were her pride and joy. She meant the world to her friends, and she gave that love right back to them tenfold. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend. Left to cherish her memory is her daughter, Stacey Smallwood of Texarkana, AR, two grandchildren, Sarah (Greg) Schwartz of Fayetteville, AR, Sawyer (Karlee) Smallwood of Justin, TX, two great-grandchildren Rowan Schwartz and River Schwartz, her sister Carolyn and brother-in-law Jerry of Tyler, TX. Special family and friends include Jimmy and Bettie McCright of New Boston, TX, and cousins Patsy Pierce of Rockwall, TX and Rita Freeman of Texarkana,TX, ; and a number of other relatives and friends.
Funeral Services will be held on Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 2:00pm at Texarkana Funeral Home, Texarkana, Texas with Chris Schroeder officiating. Visitation will be held at 1:00pm prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial donations to be made to Haven Homes Ministries.
