FUNERAL HOME

Blake Lamb Funeral Home - Oak Lawn

4727 West 103rd Street

Oak Lawn, Illinois

John Bell Obituary

Bell, John R. John R. Bell, graduate of Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism and frequent contributor to national financial and real estate magazines, dies at 89. Born in Hammond, Indiana, John moved to Chicago as a teenager and has resided in Chicago ever since. He segued into writing the John Carmichael Texaco Sports Final for CBS Radio, and later to publicize peacetime atomic energy R&D as a member of the first public information staff at Argonne National Laboratory. While at Argonne, he initiated coverage of the work that Argonne was doing by contacting CBS journalist Charles Collingwood. This resulted in a one-hour program produced and broadcast nationally on CBS. John also held several corporate PR positions, including at J. Walter Thompson, General Motors, Montgomery Ward and H. Rozoff and Associates. He added real estate and financial writing to his portfolio when H. Rozoff and Associates obtained a number of real estate and financial accounts. After he retired, he was a frequent contributor to Mortgage Banking, the official magazine of the Mortgage Banking Association, until it ceased publication in 2016. In writing to his editor at that time, he said that "Mortgage Banking was a unique publication---like no other in its field." She wrote back agreeing that "the magazine was something very special," adding "you were part of the magazine's success." His articles for Mortgage Banking included coverage of the growth and recovery of the national office market; profile of Wrightwood Capital, the Chicago-based commercial/real estate finance firm; the growth of mixed use developments; the development of business/industrial parks; the nation's Downtowns going green; multifamily apartment markets; five-star hotel markets; industrial recovery; the move to Downtowns; and economic growth in gateway cities. He wrote cover stories for the National Real Estate Investor and his cover story profiles of Chrysler's CEO Robert Eaton and Wilson Sporting Goods executive Jim Bough appeared in Industry Week (IW). He was also a contributor to Pension Management, the Journal of Property Management (JPM), Progressive Railroading, Flying Careers, Air Cargo World, and Cahners Assembly Magazine. John enjoyed music, the theater, and raising English Bulldogs---and said he had created the world's finest barbecue sauce. He and his wife, Virginia, celebrated their 68th Wedding Anniversary Sept. 8, 2019. They have two daughters, Monica (John) Muhs and Vanessa (Leon) LaSota; three grand-daughters, Dr. Amanda (Alex) Saratsis, Sara Muhs, and Leigh (AJ) Grimberg; and two great-grandchildren, Beckett and Eva Saratsis. The wake will be Tuesday, January 28, from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 4727 W. 103rd St., Oak Lawn, IL (708-636-1193). Funeral will be Wednesday, January 29, at 9:00 a.m. from Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, to 10 a.m. Mass at St. Thomas More Church, 2825 W. 81st St., Chicago, IL (773-436-4444). Interment will follow in St.Casimir Cemetery, 4401 W. 111th St., Chicago, IL.



Published by Chicago Sun-Times on Jan. 26, 2020.
34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315A

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Memories and Condolences
for John Bell

Sponsored by Chicago Sun-Times.

Not sure what to say?





3 Entries

Heartfelt condolences to the family. May God give your heart peace and comfort.

January 27, 2020

A legacy of love and kindness left to mankind to cherish!A privilege to have known him! He will be greatly missed but never forgotten for his amazing personality.the family have my deepest sympathy and prayers on your loss.
JWL.

January 27, 2020

My thoughts and prayers are for the family

January 26, 2020

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 results

Make a Donation
in John Bell's name

Memorial Events
for John Bell

Jan

28

Wake

3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Blake Lamb Funeral Home - Oak Lawn

4727 West 103rd Street, Oak Lawn, IL 60453

Jan

29

Funeral

9:00 a.m.

Blake Lamb Funeral Home - Oak Lawn

4727 West 103rd Street, Oak Lawn, IL 60453

Jan

29

Funeral Mass

10:00 a.m.

St. Thomas More Church

2825 W. 81st St., Chicago, IL

Funeral services provided by:

Blake Lamb Funeral Home - Oak Lawn

4727 West 103rd Street, Oak Lawn, IL 60453

How to support John's loved ones
Commemorate a cherished Veteran with a special tribute of Taps at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor John Bell's life and legacy
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more