JAMES HALSEY BELL

Born: January 28, 1939
Died: June 14, 2011

James H. Bell was the son of William Waverly and Mary Adele Halsey Bell. He was born in Glen Ridge, NJ. Jim prepared for Yale at Phillip's Academy, Andover. During a gap year he had an English-Speaking Union Fellowship when he attended Christ's Hospital, a "public school" in Sussex, England.

At Yale Jim was a resident of Saybrook College and soccer co-captain 1961. He was a member of Calliopean and St. Anthony's Hall, Challenge and the Young Republicans. Jim was a Russian Studies Honor Major and on the Dean's List.

After Yale Jim obtained his law degree at Harvard in 1965. He devoted his practice to corporate law specializing in mergers, acquisition, divestitures and private equity. He was a partner in the New York City firm of Satterlee Stephens Burke & Burke at the time of his death.

Jim was a devotee of opera, traveling, photography and "all things Russian." He took particular pride in organizing support for Christ's Hospital among its "old boys" in the United States, establishing a U.S. tax exempt foundation for gifts to the school from U.S. donors.

Surviving Jim is his wife Patrice, his four children, Phebe, Halsey, Elizabeth and Anastasia, and 10 grandchildren who were the delight of his life: Eliza, Zoey, Addy, Maia, Griffen, Cole, Chloe, Cortland, Annick and Petra. Jim's first wife was Judy Swanson.

Jim was remembered fondly by his Yale roommate Art Trotman, who advised that Jim died suddenly at his desk in his office on June 14, 2011, shortly after playing with his grandchildren in the park. The family will schedule a Memorial Service in September.

Art Trotman, Phil Olsson, Peter Sipple and Noel Hanf assisted by contributing to this obituary essay.