Roberta Bell

Roberta was born 80 years ago in Somerville, New Jersey. In 1965, one week after she graduated from Douglass College, she married James Bell. During their 58 years of marriage, Roberta and Jim were the center of each other’s lives - raising a family, enjoying their shared journey through life, and caring for each other when the road was rough. Through it all, she never stopped smiling and laughing. After marriage, they moved to California where she put her chemistry degree to good use designing rocket fuels at Stanford Research Institute. The insult “not a rocket scientist” did not apply to her. In 1969, they moved to the Boston area and started a family, which she said gave her the greatest pride and greatest pleasure of her life. Roberta also cared about the families of others, serving as the chair of the Governor of Massachusetts’ Advisory Council on Children’s Services. In 1980, they moved back to California where she returned to school, earning an M.B.A. at Santa Clara University. Within a few years she was teaching economics there and at nearby De Anza College. She loved teaching, especially the interaction with students. Beyond family and work, Roberta had a broad and varied set of interests, including travel, silversmithing, gourmet cooking, and especially art. Her 14 years as president of the Los Altos Art Club led to many of her deepest and most enduring friendships. Roberta felt a special connection with the ocean as her place for tranquility and renewal. For decades Roberta and Jim spent every weekend at their vacation home overlooking Monterey Bay. Roberta was healthy most of her life, but in her final years was bedbound with multiple medical challenges including dementia. Through it all, she maintained her unfailingly warm disposition and her kind consideration to those around her. Roberta is survived by husband Jim, children Jennifer (Jeffre), JX (Felicia), Brian (Becca), four grandchildren, brother David Zayle (Pam), and sister-in-law Michele Zayle. Roberta was predeceased by her brother Richard Zayle and her parents Anthony and Irene Zayle. Roberta will be fondly remembered forever by all those whose lives she touched.