Robert Louis Bellah

Bobby Bellah was born to Connie Roberta Rast Bellah and William James Bellah in Charleston, South Carolina on the hottest day of the year. He was a true Lowcountry boy and loved getting into mischief, being outside, and could never sit still— traits that followed him his whole life.

Bobby married the love of his life, Muriel Leap Bellah, in 1965. They were both raised on James Island, but after marriage, they moved to Johns Island, where they raised their four children and lived for 61 years. Bobby and Muriel loved to shag dance. Together, they were members of the Islander Shag Club and enjoyed sharing their love of dance by teaching others. At one time, they even won a shag dance competition at a local festival!

He was easy to love, and easy to laugh. Bobby NEVER met a stranger! He had a true gift for telling a joke and telling funny stories. He could come up with a nickname or rearrange a word to make it funny in a moment’s notice. He could make up an acronym from any random sentence in seconds! Bobby had a genuinely outgoing, happy, loving personality. He never judged others and welcomed people from diverse backgrounds, treating everyone equally regardless. As his many blue tee shirts attested, he lived generously! He welcomed many guests into their home as well as his heart. Even the week before he passed, he was cutting other people’s lawns and running errands for others!

Bobby loved being an active member of his community. Every morning, he rode his bike up and down his street to chat with his neighbors. Bobby never met a soul he didn’t like to chat with. He was a Mason, a lifetime member of West Ashley Outboard Motor Club, and a former member of the Charleston Rifle Club.

An active member at Faith Lutheran Church on Johns Island, Bobby served as a member of the Property Committee, a youth advisor, and a council member. He even led the construction of the choir loft in the sanctuary!

Bobby served proudly in the US Navy on the USS Robinson and the USS Soley. He was so proud to have served in our nation’s armed forces! Later, Bobby worked as a machinist foreman and retired in 1995 from serving in Shop 31, the inside machine shop, at the Charleston Naval Shipyard.

Bobby loved tinkering with things and was an avid outdoorsman. He was a man of many hobbies, enjoying boating, fishing, camping, and gardening. Bobby had a knack for making old

things new again! He could bring things back to life that others would have discarded. Bobby’s son Brad loves to tell the story of a foliage trip they took a year before Bobby passed: When asked his favorite sight from that trip, Bobby happily recalled finding a saw on the side of the road that he took home in a checked bag and fixed up the next week!

Bobby and Muriel loved to travel, and made many happy memories on trips with Muriel’s sister and brother-in-law, Robin Leap Richard and Marty Richard. He also loved to travel and tinker with things at his cabin in Sevierville, Tennessee, where he enjoyed spending time with Muriel’s sister- and brother-in-law Susan Leap Tompkins and George Tompkins. The week he passed, Bobby was traveling with his family on a much-anticipated vacation. After declining health and a brief illness, Bobby passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at Wythe Community Hospital in Wytheville, Virginia. To the very last, Bobby was taking care of his family, instructing his grandchildren how to properly put a tarp over his camper so it wouldn’t get wet and how to run the septic system at the cabin.

Bobby was predeceased by his parents, his brothers Billy and Roger, his sister, Jeanne Burns, and his daughter, Kimberly. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Muriel, his three sons, Robert Jr. (Robin), Stephen (Kim), and Brad (Mandy); his grandchildren: Kimberly, Jamie, Trey (Audrey), Gracie, and Drew; his great grandchildren, Talan, Harrison, and Olive. He is also survived by one sister, Constance (Jimmy) Varner, and his cousin who was closer to him than a brother, Wayne (Dianne) Sims, along with many brothers- and sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.

Bobby’s Celebration of Life service will be held 2:00 PM Sunday, October 18, 2026 at Faith Lutheran Church, with The Rev. Thulie Beresford officiating. The visitation will precede the service from 12:30PM until 2:00PM, and a fellowship meal will be hosted in the church Fellowship Hall immediately after the service. Please wear bright colors to this service, as it is a celebration of Bobby’s life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Faith Lutheran Church, 3374 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455.