Bruce Gilbert Bell

Bruce Gilbert Bell, 97, passed away on May 20, 2026, from injuries sustained in a UTV accident. Born on February 11, 1929, in Denver, Colorado, to Ralph Elmer and Clara Altayna Bell, Bruce spent most of his life east of Idaho Springs on his grandfather’s farm, surrounded by the mountains he loved. 

As a young boy, Bruce helped his grandparents raise poultry for delivery to Idaho Springs. During World War II, while his parents worked at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, his grandparents helped raise Bruce and his brother, Burton Carey Bell. Later, Bruce worked alongside his parents at the Sportsman’s Cafe on the west end of Idaho Springs. From childhood through the end of his life, he found joy in walking the woods around his home and tending to the many garden projects he created there. 

Bruce graduated from Idaho Springs High School in 1947 and then enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, where he trained as a radar repairman, and was later deployed to Japan as part of the post-World War II occupation forces. While in Japan, he eagerly learned the language and traveled through the countryside whenever he could. He continued to enjoy speaking Japanese with anyone who knew the language. After returning to the United States in June 1950, Bruce attended the University of Colorado and graduated in 1955 with a double major in Electrical Engineering and Business Administration. He worked as an engineer in Grand Junction, Colorado, and Pomona, California, and later for Martin Marietta. In 1960, he purchased his grandfather’s property east of Idaho Springs, where he made his lifelong home. In the mid-1970s, he began his own insulation business – Alpine Energy. 

Bruce was a lifelong learner with a deep love of languages, history, archaeology, and culture. In addition to Japanese, he studied Spanish, German, French, and Gaelic. He had a particular interest in Native American culture and a special fondness for all things Irish, including the old Irish songs he loved to sing. Bruce gave generously of his time to preserving the history of Idaho Springs through his work at the museum, his restoration work on the Civil War cannon, and the iconic Charlie Tayler water wheel. He also spent many hours tutoring and mentoring young people at the Rock House in Idaho Springs. In Dumont, he was part of the Mill Creek Valley Historical Society melodramas, where he especially enjoyed playing the villain. 

In Idaho Springs, Bruce met the love of his life, Marjorie “Chee-Chee” Jones. He had admired her from a distance during high school, and after returning home from the military, he asked her on their first date to the Trocadero Ballroom at Elitch Gardens. A picture taken that day of the two of them on a bicycle built for two became a treasured memory, and Bruce loved bicycles built for two ever after. They were married February 2, 1952 – Groundhog Day. They later celebrated an anniversary in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and saw Phil. 

Bruce and Chee-Chee shared 63 years of marriage, raised five children, and enjoyed traveling extensively in their later years. After Chee-Chee passed away in March 2015, Bruce missed her every day and brought a “square deal” – a small square rock – as a token of affection to her grave for every day she was away from him. 

Bruce was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marjorie “Chee-Chee” Jones Bell; his parents, Ralph and Clara Bell; and his brother, Burt Bell. He is survived by his children, Greg Bell (Lisa), Stephen Bell (Karla), Lynn Zavala (Jeff), Sharon Bell (Doug), and Connie Renfro (Gary); his grandchildren, Erin, Scott, Jennifer (Dan), Linnea (John), Madisen, and Noah (Tatiana); and his great-grandchildren, Micah, Brynleigh, and Eliana. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, along with many dear friends who were an important part of his life, especially in the years after Marjorie’s passing. 

The family held a private burial service on June 6, and Bruce now rests beside Marjorie in a family cemetery. A memorial service will be held at Carlson Elementary School, 320 CO-103, on Saturday, July 18, at 2 p.m., with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Rock House, P.O. Box 1256, 542 Hwy 103, Idaho Springs, CO 80452, the Mill Creek Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 84, Dumont, CO 80436, or, the Historical Society of Idaho Springs, P.O. Box 1318, 2060 Miner St., Idaho Springs, CO 80452.

 He leaves behind a legacy of family, service, curiosity, learning, kindness, and an enduring love for the mountains he called home.