Craig Marshall Bell, Esq.

Craig Marshall Bell, Esq., age 68 years, of Lambertville, NJ, died on Sunday, October 4, 2020 at Hunterdon Medical Center, Raritan Township, NJ.

To know Craig was to love Craig. He was born on Mother’s Day in 1952 at Reading Hospital, the third child of Richard and Serta Bell. Craig was born with achondroplasia, the most common form dwarfism.  His parents and two siblings were of average height.  He never allowed his physical limitations to prevent him from attempting anything.

Craig grew up on the Main Line of suburban Philadelphia and spent summers in Eagles Mere, PA.  He attended Haverford Friends School, until he enrolled as a boarding student in seventh grade at The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ. Upon graduation from Peddie, he attended and graduated from his beloved Gettysburg College with Bachelor of Science in Biology. He was a dedicated member of the SAE fraternity and remained remarkably close with his brothers until his death.

Shortly following his undergraduate studies at Gettysburg College, Craig enrolled in graduate school at Villanova University for a Master of Science in Biochemistry. During his free time, Craig worked at the King of Prussia Animal Hospital.  His dream to be a veterinarian was dashed when he was not accepted into vet school.  Undeterred, he decided to attend law school at the New England School of Law.  He spent his last year of law school at University of Pennsylvania.  He proudly served as an Assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia under Edward Rendell for five years.  He met his wife, Suzanne Clough Bell in 1982.  They met on the Main Line and had the connection of spending their childhood summers in Eagles Mere.  They were married in 1983 and welcomed their first child, a daughter, Martha, in the late summer of 1984.

Upon the arrival of his daughter, Craig made the legal jump from his much-loved court room criminal trial days to practicing intellectual property law at the law firm of Arnold, White, and Durkee in Houston, Texas. He passed the patent bar and began his career practicing intellectual patent and trademark law for the rest of his life. Craig’s son, Marshall, was born in Houston in 1987.

Craig spent his career moving in and out of in-house patent council positions and being in private practice with several law firms and finally with a small sole practice.  His legal career was based primarily in bio-tech patent law, which took him overseas to Europe, China, Thailand, and Japan to oversee international trials. He was an accomplished Bio-Tech Intellectual Patent and Trademark Attorney for several large pharmaceutical companies.  He held several positions including Patent and Trademark Attorney for Monsanto in Skokie, Illinois, Patent and Trademark Attorney for Warner-Lambert, in Morris Plains, NJ, Chief Patent Council for Pharmacia, V.P. of Patents for Elon Pharmaceutical, and Senior Director of Patents at Sanofi-Aventis.  He also worked for two private practice patent law firms in Philadelphia, PA, Paul & Paul, as well as Dann, Dorfman, Harold, and Skillman. He was a member of the Federal Patent Bar as well as the Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois, and New York State Bar Associations.

He served on the Board of Directors for several years for The Center for Independent Living in Ewing, NJ.

Craig was an avid sports fan whose mood for the next work week was determined by whether or not his beloved Eagles won each weekend. His favorite pastime was gathering with friends and neighbors amidst food, drinks, and laughter, to watch the Eagles play. Despite the lavish spread prepared by our families, his catch phrase upon assembling his dinner plate each time was, “What? No pickles?!” He thought tapping his wedding ring on any table within reach, and proclaiming, “No Mistakes!” would somehow secure an Eagles win. Much to his dismay, far too many taps went unheard among the Eagles angels.

Craig also adored golf and his beloved Merion Golf Club, of which, he was a life-long member. He loved to fish and always abided by the rule of “Catch and Release.” In his later years, he thoroughly enjoyed singing as a member of the Hunterdon Harmonizers in Flemington, NJ. The back seat of his car currently has his tackle box, fishing rod, and a Harmonizers music book in it. He hasn’t been physically able to play golf for years, but always the optimist, his brand new, custom golf clubs remain waiting in his trunk, ready to play a few holes at Merion’s West Course.

Craig loved his family and his friends. He loved his Gettysburg College SAE brothers as well as all of the neighbors and co-workers he met along the way.

He was married to his wife, Sue, for 37 years. He loved his children with all of his heart, Martha and Marshall, as well as his daughter-in-law, Lindsay, and his two beautiful grand daughters, Elizabeth and Caroline.

Craig was a loyal son for all of his mother’s life including visiting her every day for the 17 years she lived in senior care facilities.

Craig is survived by his wife, Sue; his daughter, Martha; his son and daughter-in-law, Marshall and Lindsay; two granddaughters, Elizabeth and Caroline; a sister and brother-in-law, Debbie and Ken Bourn; several nieces and nephews, cousins, and a whole next generation of offspring.

He is predeceased by his father, J. Richard Bell, Sr.; his mother, Serta Bell Moore; his stepfather, C. Anthony Moore; and his brother J. Richard Bell, Jr.

A small, immediate family private service will be held for Craig over the next week. A celebration of Craig’s life, including the interment of his ashes, will take place in Eagles Mere, PA in the summer of 2021 when it is safe for everyone. Please check back to this page for updated information.

Complete arrangements are under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ 08822.

Please visit Craig’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

Donations can be sent in his memory to the Eagles Mere Conservancy, P.O. Box 64, Eagles Mere, PA 17731 or online by clicking HERE or to The Hunterdon Harmonizers, P.O. Box 2175, Flemington, NJ 08822 or online by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”