Thomas Stewart Bell

Thomas Stewart Bell, born July 24, 1941, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, died peacefully on June 29, 2022, in his 81st year in Kennebunkport.

Thomas was the beloved father to Caroline (Raymond Ritchie) and Jamie (Kristina Sumption Bell) and loved their mother Susan Cleaver Bell. He was predeceased by his parents Arthur Cyril and Lillian Jean Stewart Bell and was the funny and indomitable granddad to Alexandra Lilly, Carolina Rose, and Anna Sophia Ritchie, Luke James and Marit Emily Bell. He was deeply loved by his cousins who were like sisters, Theodora Stewart Osgood and Beck Stewart Wharton, and in laws Stephen Cleaver (Virginia), Jill Cleaver Noftall (late Alvin Noftall) and the late Christopher Cleaver. A loving father, granddad, uncle, cousin and loyal friend, Thomas was loved by many. He will be deeply missed by his many nieces and nephews and friends old and new.

Thomas had a brilliant mathematical mind. He graduated from McGill University with a degree in Honours Mathematics (1962). Thomas was one of the youngest people in Canada to become a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries after he completed all 10 exams consecutively (1966). While working full time, Thomas taught actuarial science at McGill University and earned his masters in business administration at McGill.

Thomas’s career was guided by his love for math, loyalty and hard work. He spent his entire career at Sun Life of Canada first in Montreal, for a brief stint in Toronto and then Boston where he was chief actuary of Sun Life’s US Group Division (1981) and retired as chief actuary at Massachusetts Casualty Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Sun Life (1999).

Thomas loved his family and cherished his friendships. An enviable character strength was Thomas’s ability to make solid new friendships and nurture the old. Thomas was happiest when engaged in intelligent conversation or on the tennis court with an eager opponent, child or grandchild. Reading was a passion and he valued education above all else. He allowed common sense to guide his path in life. Thomas read all of the Shakespeare plays, the Bible, the History of the World and the Encyclopedias with his children and grandchildren. Thomas loved dancing, music and golf. He sang in a barbershop quartet and would always be on the dance floor during celebratory occasions. His smile could warm a room.

Thomas, both at the Mount Royal Country Club in Montreal and the Longwood Cricket Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, had many lifelong tennis friends. Highlights from a life spent enjoying the sport include winning the Junior National Tennis Championship of Canada (1959), playing on the McGill tennis team and trying out for the Canadian Davis Cup team (1960). Thomas won the MRCC’s Men’s A title 16 times and served as its president. He sat on the board at Longwood and won many memorable tournaments including the men’s 45 singles and doubles multiple times. He loved competing in the Friendship Cup (Quebec versus New England) and made lifelong friends on both teams.

Thomas is remembered by many as intelligent, diligent, kind, happy and humble; a good man, a good friend and a good colleague.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Atria Kennebunk, Ursula and Mitch for their long-term care and kindness as Thomas fought with dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Thomas valued education. Donations, if desired, may be made to McGill University https://giving.mcgill.ca or McGill Donation Services, 1430 Peel St., Montreal, Quebec, H3A 3T3, Canada or to a charity of one’s choice.

A private family gathering will be held in Kennebunkport. A Memorial Service is being planned for a later date in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Thomas’ Book of Memories Page at www.bibberfuneral.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk.