Joan Bean, 74

Joan Bean passed away peacefully at the age of 74, surrounded by her loving family after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1951, Joan grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, and South Bend, Indiana. In 1972, she moved to Joliet, Illinois, to pursue a nursing degree. There, she met and married Donald Bean, a Navy veteran and computer engineer who had offered to fix her calculator. The couple eventually settled in Woodstock, Illinois, where Joan devoted her life to nursing. In recent years, Joan and Don moved to Berlin, VT, where she passed.

In 1977, Joan earned her nursing certification and began her 30-year career at Woodstock Memorial Hospital. She was a compassionate caregiver and an early volunteer with McHenry County’s first hospice program, as well as a member of the hospital’s Sudden Loss Support Group.

Following her time at the hospital, Joan worked for eight years as a school nurse for special needs children in District 200. She was deeply involved in her children’s lives, serving as a Girl Scout leader and volunteering regularly at Northwood Elementary School.

After retiring, Joan traveled to Italy, Ireland, Mexico, and across the United States. She also volunteered at the Family Health Partnership Clinic, where she continued her lifelong commitment to caring for others.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents and her older brother, Paul Borgatti. She is survived by her husband, Don; her children, Matthew and Elizabeth; and her grandsons, Ellis and Myles.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Joan’s memory may be made to the Family Health Partnership Clinic, where she served as a dedicated volunteer for many years. hpclinic.networkforgood.com