Jerald "Jerry" Kellie Bell

Jerald “Jerry” Kellie Bell, 91, of Shoreline, WA, died April 11, 2017. Jerry was born in Evansville, Posey County, IN, on December 21, 1925, to Henry and Valeria Bell. He graduated from FJ Reitz High School in Evansville. He was in the US Army Air Corps, then US Air Force, for 10 years. His assignments included glider bases in TX, recruitment service in Seattle, Fairfield SAC AFB in CA, and 3 years in Tokyo, Japan, doing reconnaissance work, before returning to the Seattle area for discharge.

Jerry moved from Evansville, IN, to Seattle in 1946 and never looked back. He loved the Pacific Northwest and its cool, clear climate.

Jerry was married to Juanita Meyer in Evansville, Fay Marie O’Connor 1951-1960, and to Jo Ann Marie Smith for 44 years from 1968 to 2012.

After the Air Force, Jerry attended the University of Washington, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture. He worked as an Architect and Landscape Architect in Seattle for over 60 years, continuing work into his 91st year, and has many projects around the area and some in other states. Jerry was an expert plant and tree person, including hybridizing some Rhododendrons into new varieties, and had a passion for everything related to foliage.

For 34 years, Jerry has been a member of the Puget Sounders Chapter of the Antique Outboard Motor Club, a national organization, and for 32 years, published the chapter’s newsletter. He had great passion for this pursuit, restoring and running motors, and often was found helping others with their motors.

Jerry was known for his dry, quick wit, honest input to projects, a consummate gentleman, with a great heart, who would help anyone at the drop of a hat.

Jerry is survived by his daughter, Eileen Simon; son-in-law Steve Simon; grandson, Ian Simon, and his family, Micaela Cadena, grand-daughters Aymara Bustos-Cadena, and Salome Simon-Cadena; many beloved nieces and nephews, and friends; and close friend, Rita Boddy.