James Stephen Bean

Born in Twin Falls, Idaho as the second son of Douglas Ellsworth Bean Sr. and Mildred Ariel Hodge Bean Johnson, James Stephen Bean entered this life on April 22, 1947. He had an older brother Doug Bean, Jr. and a younger brother David Bean. During the years of growing up, his father held various jobs. He worked as a minor league general manager, a newspaper sports reporter, public relations, assistant to the Governor of Idaho and a lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute. His mother worked in insurance sales and as the director of a Cerebral Palsy non-profit. The family stayed in Twin Falls while James attended Washington and Lincoln Elementary School through grade four and then moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. There he attended Bearden Elementary school from 1958-1961, and graduated from Bearden High School in 1965. He was a natural leader. As a Boy Scout, he earned the highest Eagle rating, and special induction into" Order of the Arrow", reserved for the best of the best. His brother, David, says, "Even though Steve was small and wiry, through high school he was tough, dedicated and respected for his work ethic." As a Senior in high school Stephen was named captain of the football team. Stephen attended the University of Tennessee where he developed an unquenchable passion for the "Vols". He moved on to graduate at Boise State University in Idaho, with a degree in English. He met and married Diane Stahl while he was there. He extended his graduate work at the University of Wyoming and began his teaching career on the college level there. Stephen and Diane moved back to Boise, Idaho. On February 2, 1975 their daughter, Heidi, was born. He continued to teach college until his divorce. Stephen was an avid reader of all varieties of literature. He loved the Classics and taught his students to, as well. He could always be found with a book in his hand or by his side. The reading he did inspired in him the desire to write. He said that even at the age of eleven he would read under the covers at night and write in his journal. Over the years he worked on many projects. The next period of his life was nomadic. Stephen, like a true artist, roamed the country living in a camper truck, writing and working where he could. During this time, according to his brother David, he became a professional pool player, a winning poker player and an almost "scratch" golfer. He made friends all over the place and loved the mid-California coast near Morro Bay where he spent a lot of time. One of his favorite "hang-outs" was in Cayucos, a small town right on the water, quaint and artsy. In 1978 Stephen came to the Glendale, California area and accepted a teaching job at Heritage Christian Schools where he taught seventh through twelfth grades and served as a principal. He also led the Singles group at Community Christian Church in Glendale. It was here that he first met Linda Herrell who also taught at Heritage. They dated for a while, but lost touch when he left . He went back home to Tennessee where he lived near his family in his camper for about a year. He managed a steak house in the Gatlinburg area while he was there. About a year later he returned to the California scene and worked at American Lutheran Jr. High in Burbank, under Theda Fogg, the first principal he had worked with at Heritage. Linda taught seventh grade there during his second year as she had also worked for Theda earlier. The school closed at the end of that year. He became a private tutor for a family from the Vancouver area. He spent the next five to six years working with one student, Darin, traveling to all the historic points in the United States, and around the world, preparing this young man for college. Occasionally, he would stop by Glendale and say "Hello" to his old friends, Linda included, and fill us in on his journeys. When Darin went to college, Stephen was looking for a place to settle down. Stephen went to Paso Robles to be near his brother David, and managed a Circle K there. After a year or so, Stephen and his brothers were coming to Southern California for a special College Kick-off Classic in Anaheim between University of Tennessee "Volunteers "and University of Colorado "Buffalos." He thought it would be fun to see Linda again, and they invited her to join them. Needless to say, the "spark" ignited and Stephen decided to stay in Linda's vicinity for a while. They began dating again and this time the time was right. Linda's sister Tami got married on September 22, 1990, and Stephen came to the wedding as Linda's date. Linda had begun teaching for the Santa Paula School district in 1990, as well as Stephen who was hired to teach math at Isbel Middle School there. Their love was rekindled. Stephen once said to Rogerlin, a good friend of theirs, " I loved her so much, I married her twice." Their first marriage was on February 14, 1991 in Santa Ynez and a very private affair. Later, on June 22, 1991 , in Huntington Beach, California, they had a public wedding and reception where family, friends, and some students had a chance to celebrate with them. They started their married life in the same home where Linda now resides. They celebrated the start of their twentieth year this Valentine's Day. Stephen substituted for Santa Paula for a few years and then spent five years teaching English at Isbel Middle School. There he had the opportunity to influence many classes and change the lives of students forever. Some of the tributes of those students were read to him during the last days of his life and brought smiles to his face. Many of them have also responded on Facebook on James Bean's page. Stephen's life has been a winding road of experiences and relationships. He found a place to settle down and a person to love. He and Linda attended South Coast Fellowship Church in Ventura and participated in small groups, and Bible Studies. They loved the Morro Bay area and often went there on vacations. Stephen was diagnosed with stage four cancer in October 2009, and underwent a series of treatments. He had back surgery in early January to help prevent paralysis. He passed away on Monday, March 1, 2010. His memory and influence lives on in all our lives. Stephen often quoted the Apostle Paul who said , "To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord." We look forward to seeing him again, someday, but he will be missed greatly.