Jonathan passed away on April 5th in Lavaur, France. Not sure if there will be an official obituary here in the states. Alex , his oldest son, has given me permission to contact you with the sad news.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Jonathan Wesley Bell, a profoundly bright and creative mind who touched the lives of many. Jonathan passed away peacefully on April 5th in Lavaur, France.

No story was too good, no dinner too long, no sonata too intense for Jonathan: this Kansan epicurean, this NYC hipster and Languedocian bon vivant.

Born on January 11th 1949 in Stockton (KS) the son of Eleanor Bell (nee Little) and Rev. Samuel Mancil Bell Jonathan approached life with a keen curiosity and a passion for humanity with all its blemishes and beauty marks. 

Jonathan attended Wichita High School North (Class of 67) and after a spell at Southern Methodist University then went on to earn a BA and MA in English Literature and Creative Writing from Kansas Univeristy where he also met his wife-to-be.

Jonathan Wesley Bell was a distinguished novelist, short story writer, and journalist whose unique literary voice resonated across several published works. His stories delved into the fantastical and the dark, always anchored by compelling narratives and complex characters. The Prairie Dancers is perhaps his finest work and remains an unforgettable magical realist fable of a small-town Kansas.

Beyond his passion for writing, Jonathan was also a success businessman and entrepreneur, Over the course of a quarter century, he built a successful career as a trade journalist, creative director and sales and marketing consultant. A world-class epicurean, Joanthan’s focus was on tea, coffee, cocoa and tobacco – especially cigars. He travelled the world for business from Ethiopea to Cuba but always returning to his beloved Italy with its Boccacio, Tartini and Chianti.

Though his roots were in Kansas, Jonathan made his home in New York City for a decade and then settled in bucolic Occitania in Southwestern France with his French wife Marie-Claire. 

Jonathan is survived by his wife and one-true-love Marie-Claire who resides in Servies, France and their two sons Alex and Julien, both residing in Oslo, Norway.

He will be dearly missed.