John Bell III, the former executive director for loan guaranty service at the Department of Veterans Affairs, has died. His passing was noted in a Facebook post by Rick Bettencourt, president of Veterans Mortgage Brokers, Danvers, Massachusetts.
"For the last 10 years John has been a Titan in the VA home loan world," Bettencourt, who is also a past president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, said in a message. "What he did for veterans, active duty service members, and the mortgage community elevated the VA home loan to be the United States best mortgage, period. The impacts he made will be felt for generations."
On Aug. 10, Bell was
"John Bell was a talented and trusted leader with nearly 15 years of service to the Department of Veterans Affairs," VA Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits Margarita Devlin said in a statement. "He will be deeply missed by his VA colleagues as well as countless Veterans he served and helped over the years. We grieve for his friends and loved ones during this difficult time."
In a LinkedIn post, which was later shared by a friend of his to Facebook earlier this month, Bell said he was looking for a living donor for a liver transplant for non-alcoholic cirrhosis likely from his military service.
NAMB also put out its own statement on Facebook and
"John was a steadfast advocate for veterans and a trusted voice in our community for many years," the post said. "His
NAMB noted Bell's
Bell's bio on the VA website said he had extensive mortgage industry experience, having held leadership roles with nationwide lenders for over 20 years. He joined the VA in 2010.
"Mr. Bell leveraged his industry experience to reduce loan closing timeframes for VA-guaranteed loans and implement modernization of systems," the bio said. "Under Mr. Bell's tenure the program excelled,
His mortgage career started when he was attending Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee, his bio said.
"The mortgage lending and veteran communities have lost a champion," the NAMB statement said. "We are grateful for his legacy of service and will continue to honor it by advancing the mission of supporting veterans in their homeownership journey."
A similar sentiment came from Brendan McKay, co-founder and president of the Broker Action Coalition.
"It was immediately clear how deeply John Bell cared about serving Veterans and expanding access to homeownership through the VA Home Loan program," McKay said in a statement. "His passion and commitment made a meaningful impact, and the Veteran and housing communities will feel his loss. He will be missed."
Nate Long, CEO of Veterans United Home Loans, said they were honored to work alongside Bell and witness his "unwavering dedication" to those who served in the military.
"John proudly served our nation in the Navy and later became a tireless champion of the VA home loan benefit — he left an enduring mark on the lives of countless Veterans and their families," Long said in a statement. "John was a remarkable leader and a true champion for Veterans and their causes."
Bell's legacy of service and compassion will continue on, he added.
Bell is survived by his wife and a daughter.
