Hunter Seaborn Bell Jr.

He attended E. Rivers School and was a graduate of The McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN. While he was at McCallie he played varsity tennis, soccer and baseball and all three of those teams were mid-south champions. He graduated from Auburn University where he was a member of the varsity tennis team and a Phi Delta Theta as were his father and son Hunter – plus the naval R.O.T.C. program. After graduation he was sent to the naval air station in Jacksonville, FL for his two years of active duty. Because of a mix-up in his orders he had no assignment upon his arrival! The commander decided to put Hunter’s athletic talent to good use: Hunter was assigned to be “assistant special duty officer” in charge of tennis, golf, boxing and swimming for the base. This was right up Hunter’s alley: well not so much the boxing! He qualified for the All-Navy tennis finals in Newport, RI. The first person he ran into was his old Atlanta friend and tennis partner, Ralph Paris!

After his naval service Hunter returned to Atlanta. In 1959 he was in a friend’s wedding at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church; which turned out to be another lucky event in his life. The bride, Nina Hopkins, was a good friend of Llewellyn White at UNC and Llewellyn came to Atlanta for the wedding, where she met Hunter. They dated and married in 1959 and lived happily ever after – well, maybe not exactly. She became a liberal Democrat and peace activist, which sometimes tested Hunter’s patience. His devotion to tennis and golf sometimes tested hers. Nevertheless, love and patience prevailed and their marriage lasted for 56 years.

For most of his career, Hunter was a manufacturer’s representative in the soft drink industry and traveled most of each week, throughout the southeast, but he was always back in time to attend the many games of his sons, Hunter Bell III and Moreland Bell.

Hunter was also the chief organizer for tennis and golf with his friends on the weekend, plus he found time to get his sons involved in fishing and hunting. However, once they were self-sufficient he retired from early morning fishing trips and duck hunts in freezing cold weather. Hunter was a member of The Cathedral of St. Philip, the Piedmont Driving Club and the Nine O’Clocks.

Hunter was predeceased by his parents, Monica Ripley Bell and Hunter Seaborn Bell, Sr. and his brother, Reginald Ripley Bell. He is survived by his wife, Llewellyn White Bell, son Hunter Seaborn Bell, III (Cathy) of Roberts, MT and Moreland Binford Bell (Saralyn) of Atlanta and two grandsons, Moreland Conway Bell and Hunter Davis Bell of Atlanta.

Hunter’s family would like to extend many thanks and much appreciation to those who took good care of him at the end of his life, especially, DeVlaming Peace, Melford Webster, and The Canterbury Court Staff members.

There will be a memorial service for Hunter on Friday, August 26, at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Rd, NW, Atlanta. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to: National Parkinson Foundation, 200 S.E. 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 or a charity of your choice.