Diane May Bean

Diane was born Diane May Anderson on July 20, 1940 to Rev. Julian and LaTona Anderson (Farrington) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Diane would become the second of four children: Duane (born 1938), Leslie (1942), and Dale (1943).

Diane attended boarding school at Bethany Lutheran School in Mankato, Minnesota, where her father Julian was on the faculty, teaching Greek at Bethany Lutheran Seminary and at the University of Minnesota. Diane graduated as the valedictorian of her class. While growing up, Julian (an avid baseball fan) taught Diane about baseball and how to keep score. Baseball became a major avocation in Diane’s life, further bolstered when her cousin married Charles Comiskey II (of Chicago White Sox fame). After the White Sox changed ownership, she switched loyalty to the New York Yankees, whom she supported the rest of her life.

In 1958, Diane moved to Chicago when Julian became the pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on the city’s west side. During this time she started volunteering in social ministry initiatives, serving and teaching the Bible to families on the south side of Chicago. She also began working at Parker Hannifin in Des Plaines, Illinois, as the secretary to the president. There she met a manager named Alden who drove a British roadster—a Triumph TR3.

Diane married Alden S. Bean on July 11, 1959. They would have five children (Scott, David, Andrew, Matthew, and Timothy) and six grandchildren (Aaron, Nathan, Stephen, Nicholas, Abbigail, and Samantha).

Diane and Al were members of several different Lutheran congregations throughout their marriage: St. Paul Lutheran Church (Mount Prospect, Illinois), Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Delmar, New York), Grace Lutheran Church (Falls Church, Virginia), Zion Lutheran Church (Cincinnati, Ohio), St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), St. Stephen Lutheran Church (Williamsburg, Virginia), and Redeemer Lutheran Church (Richmond, Virginia). Throughout their time in these congregations, Diane served as an adult bible study leader, small group leader, choir member, church council member, and even congregational president. She was also active in a variety of ecumenical social ministry committees and initiatives, including prison ministry and ministry to the homeless.

Diane also worked with Al to support his academic career, including organizing, coordinating, and managing several trips for groups of business students to visit international firms in Japan, South Korea, and Europe. These trips fostered her love of international travel; her passport would come to include stamps from Italy, Norway, Sweden, Australia, and England.

In 1972, Diane was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. Despite years of chronic health challenges, Diane continued to enjoy a variety of activities: bridge, travel, tennis, knitting and cross-stitching, and crossword puzzles.

Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Julian G. Anderson and LaTona Anderson, and her brother Duane. She is survived by her husband, Alden S. Bean, sister Leslie Nelson, brother Dale Anderson, children, and grandchildren.

A memorial service for Diane will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 11am at Redeemer Lutheran Church (9400 Redbridge Road, North Chesterfield, Virginia, 23236). A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Redeemer Lutheran Church.