David Christopher Smith “J.J.” Bell – 50th Reunion Essay

David Christopher Smith “J.J.” Bell

3 Banner Hill Way

Gloucester, Ma. 01930

j.j.bell@hotmail.com

978-265-7860

Spouse: Jacquelyn C. Bell (1980)

Children: Chelsea Putnam Rogers Bell (1987), Morgan Elizabeth Foster Bell (1991)

Education: Gloucester High School ‘65, BA Yale University ‘69 and MBA (Finance) Columbia University ‘72

Career: Executive Vice President, The Druker Company Ldt., Boston, Ma., 25 years as developer of high end, multi-use, urban office, retail, residential and hotel buildings.

Avocations: Family, Gloucester, urban design, art, tennis, skiing, travel, food, wine and philanthropy

College: Pierson

I was saving my essay for the very last minute in order that I might duplicate the palpable anxiety I felt in cramming for tests while at Yale. That said, I found a sudden burst of creative energy when one of the hardworking organizers of the reunion mercifully pointed out that we need not solve the meaning of life in writing it. I feel liberated now to move forward to write a few thoughts in my own simpleminded, uncomplicated way.

While the meaning of life is definitely beyond my pay grade, I do have some thoughts on what my life has meant to me. I must state first and foremost that I have been blessed with a life which, by no means perfect, has been pretty damn good. In fact, not to forsake good in pursuit of perfect has been one of the most useful lessons I have learned along the way. I grew up in a family of six children, all different one from another, with solid, caring parents who possessed a well-defined value system and no tolerance for any sense of entitlement. Raised in and having gone to public schools in Gloucester, Massachusetts, I benefited from the supportive network of a small town with the cultural diversity of a large city, with a long and rich cultural history that gave me a true sense of place. (Someone once described Gloucester as a melting pot where they forgot to turn on the heat.)

Going to Yale itself was a privilege and an honor. While it is clear to me, in retrospect, I failed to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded me at a school such as Yale, the fault was mine and not that of Yale. I learned, nevertheless, to think broadly and critically, both of which skills have come in handy at work and at play. Thanks to the late Vincent Scully, along with my parents, I developed a love of art while at Yale, which only grew over the years. After graduating from Columbia with an MBA in finance, I was fortunate enough to land in the real estate industry, primarily in Boston, for the most part with one company, developing urban, mixed use, high-end commercial buildings. Challenging, sometimes frustrating work it was, but at the same time intellectually stimulating. On any given day, I would have to immerse myself in leasing, design, marketing, finance and/or construction. Although the life cycle of a complicated real estate development project could be a long and winding path, it was satisfying, at the end of it all, to have contributed something vital to the built environment.

Having mostly retired approximately 10 years ago, my wife, Jackie, and I have been living in Gloucester now since my 25th Yale reunion. Five years my junior and a former banker, my wife has no dearth of energy. If she is a Type A, very independent and highly spirited, then I am a Type B, more laid back, with the passive aggressive overtones of a Gemini, a mixture of personality types, which curiously seems to work for the most part. We both spend our time with family, trying to add some value to various worthy organizations within our vibrant community, traveling, and having fun. We have lost some friends and family over time, which have left some definite holes in our lives. While achieving that appropriate balance in life is still a work in progress, we may be gaining on it (or not). Since we married on the late side and had children even later, I was able to participate more fully in the later part of our two girls’ childhood, which has greatly enriched my retirement. Our daughters, Chelsea, now 31, and Morgan, 26, have taken flight in ways that truly impress both Jackie and me. Chelsea has a passion for wine which, through her communication skills, she shares with an expanding audience; Morgan is steeped in public service, where her strong moral compass has proven helpful in charting her way in today’s turbulent world of politics. While our daughters are both caring, thoughtful and responsible women, they are in many ways very different, one from another, but have miraculously become very close. And the best part is that they seem to enjoy spending time with their parents!

Onward and upward.