Joyce E. Bean

Joyce E. Bean, 94, of Sycamore, formerly of Hampshire, passed away Wednesday, April 8th, 2026, at the Grand Victorian in DeKalb. She was born June 11, 1931, in Atlanta, GA, the daughter of George and Eva (Pittman) Kraft. She married George Bean on June 7th, 1952, in Sycamore. Joyce attended Northern Illinois State Teachers College (NIU) taught at Burlington Schools for a short time, shifting to feeding farm workers and raising children. She worked at GNP in Pingree Grove while getting her master’s degree. While working at Family Service in Elgin she focused on the needs of the elderly, later becoming the Director of Gerontology at St Joseph Hospital. She took much joy in retirement working at a quilt shop in Sarasota. She took pride in the fact that her income allowed them to travel to destinations across the country and around the world. Her faith was strengthened by her work within the Methodist Church and trips to the Holy Land. At home she tackled hobbies with enthusiasm, including stained glass, chair caning, cooking, cross country skiing, and quilting. Entertaining was one of her favorite activities. Together She and George lived many happy chapters in Hampshire, Elgin, Rhinelander, Delavan, Bradenton, Rapid City, IL, and Sycamore meeting new friends at every stop. Joyce was welcomed into Heaven by her parents; husband, George; daughter, Susan; son, David; and brother, Pat. Left to cherish her memory are her sons, Jonathon (Jeannie), and Timothy; daughter in law Linda; grandchildren, Matthew (Karen), Samantha (Richard), Daniel (Jennifer), Candi (Pat), Nicole (Travis), Shantel (Mathew); great grandchildren, Madelyn, Tyler, Macey, Aubrey, Owen, Eli, Elaina, Izaac, Austin, Andrew, Ryland, Avery, Xander, and Sorsha, as well as many dear friends. A Memorial Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 15th, at the First United Methodist Church, 207 E. Grove St. in Hampshire from 1:00 until the 2:00 pm memorial service. Internment will follow immediately at Hampshire Center Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Joyce’s name may be made to the Burlington/Hampshire Food Pantry, PO Box 651, Hampshire, IL 60140.

Joyce E. Bean

June 11, 1931 - April 8, 2026