David Eugene Bell

David Eugene Bell passed away in his home on October 23, 2025. He was born on September 18, 1936, to Clifford James Bell and Susan Arline Wallace Bell. He was the youngest of four siblings, one sister, Elizabeth (Beth), and brothers Wallace and John Robert. He grew up in Salt Lake City, living in the same house on 17th South his whole life until he married.

He had natural musical abilities growing up and started piano lessons around age eight, continuing on through high school, he became an accomplished pianist, enjoying classical music. He was also chosen to play the drums in a newly formed school orchestra when he was in 5th grade because he could read music so well. Because he was small for his age at that time, he had to stand on a stool to play and be seen when performing. Later in junior high, he was asked to learn to play the tuba, which he loved. Later, at graduation services from the Church Seminary, held at a church building, he performed a tuba solo of a hymn, the only time anyone had heard a tuba hymn solo at church.

David also loved to sing and had a beautiful bass voice from high school on throughout his life. He performed in many school and church choirs, and the South High distinguished A ’Capella choir.

David enjoyed Boy Scouts and progressed as fast as was allowed. When he received his Eagle Scout ranking, he was the youngest scout to receive that award in the Sugar House District at that time.

David was a hard-working youth and had a newspaper route throughout his junior high years, getting up early to deliver morning papers in his red wagon with his dog at his side. Later, when in high school, he gave up the paper route and worked at a corner pharmacy. The owner of the store said, “David was an honest, hardworking chap and would cheerfully do anything he was asked to do.”

Upon graduation from South High, David received a Navy Scholarship for four years of college. He attended the University of Utah and majored in Electrical Engineering. During the summer school vacation, he attended training exercises on Navy ships and traveled to Chile, Spain, and England, as well as training in Texas. He was selected to attend a special conference in Washington D.C. because of his achieving top honors. David chose to pursue a civilian career instead of the Naval career he started.

David married Gail Van Horbek, a high school sweetheart, in the Salt Lake Temple in June 1956. They lived in Gail’s parents’ home in a basement apartment until David graduated from the University of Utah. It was there that their firstborn, John David, was born in 1958. Then they bought their first home and moved to Sandy, Utah, where their second child, Susan, was born in 1960.

The young family moved to Southern California in 1962 when David accepted a job working for Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They settled in La Crescenta after the home they had built was finished. Joseph Edward was born there in 1965, followed by James Arthur in 1968 and Karen in 1969. The family moved to a larger home in neighboring La Canada that same year.

These years were filled with all the busyness that comes with raising 5 children. Of note during this time frame were three wonderful cross-country long-term trips to Florida for David’s work in the Space Program, and rocket launchings of that era, 1964, 1967, and 1969. David worked on several significant space projects during his many years at JPL. One of the earliest was the Surveyor Project, which involved surveying the surface of the moon. He was the video analyst and said that because of that assignment, he was literally the first person ever to see the moon’s surface. He also worked on the Mariner Venus, and Mars projects, as well as the Viking Orbitor.

David took full early retirement from JPL in 1992, and he and Gail moved to Orem, Utah, where they opened a children’s bookstore in downtown Provo.

David was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 8 by his brother Wallace because his dad was serving a short-term mission to New Mexico at that time. He was ordained a deacon at age 12 by his father, and continued on and received the Melchezedek Priesthood at age 18. He served a stake mission, served as High Priest Group Leader, and Family History Consultant. He and Gail served a mission together from 2015-2017 at the ROC – Research Operations Center in Orem. Gail passed away in 2022, leaving David a widower for almost 4 years.

David is survived by his 5 children, their spouses, Rhonda Armstrong, Duane Blake, Kim Cheeseman, Nancy Stephens, and Isaac Arteaga, 16 grandchildren, Thomas, Nathan, Tami, Lisa, Jacob, Alan, Dennis, Christopher, Aislinn, Alyson, Kayla, Caitrin, Meghan, Andrew, Eamon, and Treasa, and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings, and wife, Gail.

A funeral service honoring David will be held Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 11:00 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 114 S. 400 West, Orem, Utah. There will be a viewing held from 9-10:30 am at the Church building. Interment will be in the Orem City Cemetery, next to his beloved wife.

Condolences for the family may be expressed on this page.

For those unable to attend the services, they will be Livestreamed starting at 10:45 a.m. (MST) on Saturday, November 8th, via YouTube Live at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M43UovNCPz4