Joan D. Bell

FREEPORT – Joan Bell, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, cousin, friend, and holiday fashion icon, died unexpectedly on Sept. 26, 2024 at the age of 91.

Born in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y., on Feb. 5, 1933, Joan was the only child of Walter and Ethel Meyer Husmann, and was the apple of her daddy’s eye.

Employed as a teen at a marine insurance underwriter, she took a shine to a coworker, Albert Bell. Al joined the Navy, and while home on leave they were married in Jersey City on Nov. 24, 1953. For the next two decades, Joan and her growing family toured America, with posts in Texas, Tennessee, Hawaii, California, and ultimately, Maine, while giving birth to at least one of her children in each of those posts. While some might collect souvenirs and tchotchkes from such varied life experiences, Joan often joked that she instead collected children “because they are easier to pack.”

A consummate Navy wife and famously dedicated friend, Joan was first and foremost the devoted mother of the Bell children. In 1973, with no driver’s license, no meaningful work history, and eight children between the ages of 5-18, Joan became a single mother. The superhuman tenacity and constitution that she showed in the coming years are perhaps the greatest gifts that she passed on to her children. The Bells’ fierce commitment to one another is the product of Joan’s intense protective instincts.

She is survived by a large and adoring family, and countless friends and admirers. Among them are her seven children, Leslie Ambrose of Laconia, N.H., Alan Bell of Sabattus, Tracy and Sherman “Butch” Foster of Athens, Ga., Lori Bell of Palm Beach, Fla., Kelly Baker Bell of Brunswick, Tami Thibodeau and Ron Gross of Greenland, N.H., Jon and Kristy Myers Bell of Del Mar, Calif., and Elena and Peter Wagner of Freeport; her grandchildren are Courtney and Derek Spears of Laconia, N.H., Erica and Joel Miranda of Kathleen, Ga., Monica and Brandon Lewis of Kingsland, Georgia; Quinn Scannell of Chicago, Illinois; Thacher Scannell of Washington, D.C., Keel Thibodeau and AJ Gross of Greenland, N.H., Andrea Matyszewski and Derek Bell of Southington, Conn., Jack Myers of Oakland, Calif., Matthew Myers of Fort Collins, Colo., Colby Wagner of Boston, Mass., Shea Wagner of Tampa, Fla., and Gabriel Wagner of Freeport; her great-grandchildren are Xander and Nolan Spears of Laconia, N.H., and Foster Lewis of Kingsland, Ga.

She was predeceased by her son, Eric Bell, in 2009.

Joan “Grammie” Bell will be remembered for a wide range of interests, hobbies, and passions which she was always thrilled to share with those around her. She was a lifelong member and supporter of the Lutheran church, most recently the Good Shepherd congregation in Brunswick. She was an advocate for the Boy and Girl Scouts of America. She was a dedicated fan of the many athletic and theatrical groups with which her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren participated and competed over the years. Until her balance began to fail her she loved to walk, and she was a lifelong and voracious reader.

She was renowned for her remarkable recall of birthdays, anniversaries, and mailing addresses, and her uncanny awareness of precisely how long it would take for a card to make it from her post office of origin to its intended destination – she was never off the mark for on-time recognition of the milestones in the lives of her many loved ones. She cherished family gatherings of all sorts, where she could share her love with those for whom she cared the most but didn’t see as often as she’d like. But there was nothing about which she was more excited than the holidays. She loved to decorate. She would be sure to acknowledge her family’s pet dogs, cats, rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and other creatures with stockings on Christmas morning. She started her Christmas shopping on Dec. 26 every year. And of course there was Grammie’s Closet, a long-running social media phenomenon that included daily photos featuring an array of holiday-themed clothing, pins, and costumes – for every holiday, all year long. Her extensive holiday wardrobe grew over time thanks to many generous donations from friends and fans near and far, for which she was ever thankful. The joy she felt for these occasions touched hundreds of members of her broadly extended family.

A celebration of Joan Bell’s life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5, beginning at 12 p.m. at the Wagners’ home in Freeport. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to these organizations which Joan held close to her heart:

*Fund the Fur animal shelter and rescue

*Good Will-Hinckley School

*World Wildlife Fund

adopt an African elephant