▁surg ery ▁on ▁ 7 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁just ▁over ▁two ▁weeks ▁after ▁taking ▁over ▁as ▁CE O . ▁He ▁continued ▁working ▁for ▁a ▁time , ▁but ▁eventually ▁res igned ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁disease , ▁which ▁became ▁in cur able . ▁Bell ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁vice ▁chairman ▁Jim ▁Sk inner ▁as ▁CE O ▁and ▁by ▁Michael ▁Roberts ▁as ▁president . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Mc Donald ' s ▁paid ▁$ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁the ▁termin ally - ill ▁Bell ▁to ▁be ▁returned ▁to ▁Australia ▁in ▁a ▁spe cially ▁equ ipped ▁jet . ▁He ▁died ▁shortly ▁afterwards ▁at ▁his ▁a partment ▁in ▁Sydney ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁around ▁him . ▁ ▁The ▁death s ▁of ▁Cant al up o ▁and ▁Bell , ▁who ▁died ▁relatively ▁young , ▁have ▁led ▁some ▁to ▁wonder ▁whether ▁being ▁an ▁executive ▁at ▁a ▁company ▁which ▁produced ▁alleg edly ▁un he alth y ▁food ▁led ▁to ▁their ▁ill ness es , ▁particularly ▁as ▁Bell ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁eat ▁Mc Donald ' s ▁products ▁often . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁two ▁success ive ▁CE Os ▁of ▁Wend y ' s , ▁Jim ▁Near ▁and ▁Gordon ▁T eter , ▁died ▁in ▁their ▁f ift ies ▁of ▁heart ▁attacks . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁whether ▁Bell ' s ▁di et ▁contributed ▁to ▁his ▁cancer . ▁ ▁Hon ours ▁Bell ▁was ▁made ▁an ▁Officer ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Australia ▁in ▁June