John Bell
Bell, John P. “Jack”
Passed suddenly Sunday, November 22 at the age of 80, at his home in Saint Charles, after not much more than a cold. Jack had suffered with dementia and chronic pain for several years. He leaves his beloved wife of 42 years, Elizabeth (Beth) Colwell Bell; loving sons Brian Bell of Hazelwood, John (Jan) Bell Xeno of Creve Coeur, and Sean (Jessica) Bell of Saint Charles. He was a dear brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend.
He was preceded in death by his parents John G. Bell of Corpus Christi, and Mary Stanley Bell of Florissant and his grandparents Anton and Josephine Parr of Old Monroe who he lived with while attending Immaculate Conception elementary school. In November 1950, he was able to move to St. Louis and live with his mother where he attended and graduated from Beaumont High in 1953.
Jack started work at a very early age setting bowling pins in a St. Louis bar, then at a grocery store after school, always working to help support his mother and himself. His first day out of school, he started work for Coca Cola as a route salesman. In 1958, he worked as a repo man for American Finance, then General Finance, working his way up to loan officer and office manager. During this period he served in the Army and Naval Reserve, just missing deployment to Korea.
In 1963, taking a pay cut, Jack changed careers and went to work in purchasing at McDonnell Douglas. This began a long, rewarding journey where he attended college and worked his way up and through different divisions of MDC. He earned his Master of Arts in Human Resource Development and Management from Webster University at the age of 59.
His love of education led him to teach communication courses such as Dealing with Difficult People, Conflict Resolution, and Listening Skills for St. Louis Community College. He was always learning, mentoring and helping others.
Jack was most proud of his cost-saving Fly In Prime Program which saved the McDonnell Douglas millions of dollars by having pilots test fly planes in primer coat versus the finish paint. This process saved time, money, and made the planes lighter. He retired in 1999 after 35 years of service.
His idea of Fly In Prime came through his hobby of restoring cars. He had over 40 vehicles during his life. His favorite was the 1948 Chevrolet Pick Up his grandfather taught him to drive at the age of 13. He was able to obtain it in 1983 and spent the next 30 years totally dismantling and restoring. Beth always knew where her husband was—in the garage working on one of his cars!
Jack enjoyed music, movies, boating and swimming. He taught himself electrical, plumbing, and carpentry skills which he used to modify his home. Additionally, he shared those skills with John and Sean, allowing them to make their own home improvements. He also taught himself how to build computers and shared that skill with Sean as well.
Foremost, Jack loved his family. He was very close with his mother and grandparents, and was a wonderful son. He was generous with his time and money. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to help family, friends, co-workers, even strangers. He loved his sons with all his heart and was very proud of them.
These past 10 years have been difficult for Jack. We were finally able to relieve most of his pain with the removal of his infected left hip 3 years ago; however, the damage to his brain was irreversible. He was such an intelligent person and his lack of memory and inability to communicate was devastating to him. The past two years he didn’t really know anyone and the last six months he has been bed bound. Beth, with physical and emotional help from Sean, was able to care for him at home with more and more difficulty. He enjoyed time with Lexi, our Great Dane, listening to music, looking at store flyers, and eating his favorite foods. His passing is certainly freedom for him, but we will miss his funny stories and hearty laugh—he was such a character! Thankfully, we have many wonderful, warm memories to remember him by.
Jack was cremated and will be buried with his mother at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Florissant. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. If so inclined, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or your local food pantry. Jack did not have Alzheimer’s, but they help with other dementia illnesses.
The saying “they broke the mold” is so fitting when speaking of Jack. He was truly one of a kind. I believe one of his greatest joys was making someone smile or laugh. His wit along with his caring, giving, loving attitude will be greatly missed.
My deepest sympathies to John, Brian, Sean and Beth. Your dad and husband was a true gentleman. Rest in peace Jack Bell.
I worked with Jack at McDonnell Douglas. He was always willing to help and was super smart. He had a great sense of humor I will remember him fondly. May he rest in peace.
Dear Beth,
We are sorry to hear about the passing of Jack. May we offer our thoughts, prayers and well wishes during this dark time in your life. Our hearts are with you.
The Frost Family