[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 124 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF JESS A. BELL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 29, 2005

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of 
Jess A. Bell, dedicated family man, community activist, business 
leader, U.S. Veteran, and friend and mentor to many.
  Mr. Bell grew up in Cleveland, attended Baldwin Wallace College and 
served our country as a paratrooper during WWII and the Korean War. In 
1959, he became president of the Lakewood-based Bonne Bell Inc., a 
company his father had started thirty-two years earlier.
  Mr. Bell's unwavering integrity, concern for others, boundless energy 
and expansive heart, reflected within every facet of his life--from his 
commitment to his family, to his concern for his employees, to his 
social activism on behalf of charitable causes. He blazed a trail of 
opportunity for all when he became one of the only business leaders in 
America to initiate a program to hire senior citizens, some of them in 
their nineties. Many companies have since followed in his path, 
realizing the significant contributions offered by older Americans.
  Always focused on the health and well-being of his employees, Mr. 
Bell, a marathon runner himself, provided on-site exercise facilities 
and offered financial incentives for employees who took personal 
responsibility for their physical health. In 1970, he founded the 
American Heart Association's Cleveland Heart-A-Thon. He also led the 
effort to establish a tennis tournament between the United States and 
Australia that served to promote the development of girls' junior 
tennis programs.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance 
of Jess A. Bell. Please also join me as I offer my deep condolences to 
his wife of 51 years, Juliana; his children, Julie, Buddy, James and 
Joe; his 14 grandchildren; his sister Bonne, and his extended family 
and many friends. Though he will be greatly missed, the joyous legacy 
of his life, framed by kindness, energy and an unwavering focus on 
lifting the lives of others, will live on forever within the hearts of 
his family and friends, and within the spirit of our entire community.

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