John Ray Bell

Mr. John Ray Bell, 69, of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., passed away Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, at Hospice of Charleston.

He was the Executive Vice-President General Manager of Operations for Severstal Mississippi.

Mr. Bell, a native of Mt. Morris, N.Y., was born March 5, 1942, in Rochester, N.Y., to James Edward and Rose Annalora Bell.

He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., where he earned a bachelor's degree and M. A. in Metallurgical Engineering.

His career in the steel industry spanned 45 years beginning at Jones & Laughlin Steel Company's Graham Research Laboratory in Pittsburgh, Pa., as a research engineer. In 1973, he became the chief steel plant metallurgist at McLouth Steel in Trenton, Mich. He joined National Steel's Granite City Steel Division in Granite City, Ill., in 1982 as manager of continuous casting. In 1987 he joined Nucor as melt shop manager at Nucor-Yamato Steel in Blytheville, and in 1995 became melt shop manager at Nucor Steel-Berkeley Division, in Huger, S.C. In 2004 he was appointed general manager of steelmaking technologies for Nucor Steel. In 2006 Mr. Bell embarked on his life-long dream of running a steel plant when he joined Severstal Mississippi (formerly known as SeverCorr) in Columbus, Miss.

Mr. Bell was greatly respected globally in the steelmaking industry. He was an educator, mentor, role model, colleague and friend to countless people in his life.

He leaves his wife of 43 years, Charlene Hoetzlein Bell;

His children, James Albert Bell of Columbus, Miss., John Andrew (and Kimberly) Bell of Pittsburgh, Pa., David Joseph (and Lora) Bell and Mary Bell (and Christos) Maltezos of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; and

Seven grandchildren, Rachel Mackenzie Bell, Nicholas James and Luke David Bell, Elizabeth Rose and Sophia Ann Maltezos, Emma Jane and Megan Christine Bell.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday at the Club at Dunes West in South Carolina.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at noon Saturday at St. Benedict Catholic Church.

Inurnment will be at Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, S.C.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Benedict Catholic Church Building Fund, 950 Darrell Creek Trail, Mt. Pleasant, S.C. 29466 or Hospice of Charleston, 676 Wando Park Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, S.C. 29464.