Roger Lee Bean passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 4th, surrounded by family. Roger was born in 1936 in Ashland, Kansas. He is survived by his children Brenda Kay Tooley and husband Michael Tooley, Rhonda Leigh Holloman and husband Ken (Spike) Holloman, Scott Roger Bean and wife Jill Bean and Jerry Lynn Bean and wife Jessie Bean, as well as six grandchildren, Tyler (Morgan), Kendal (Jeff), Nathan (Brianna), Luke, Gunner and Grant, and three great-granddaughters, Izzy, Zoey and Adelynn, and also by his sister Karen Salyer (Theron) and brother Richard Bean (Betty) and sisters-in-law Diane Brown (Duane), Beth Pike and Janice Tarvin and brother-in-law Rolland Stewart (Carol). Roger is preceded in death by his beloved wife Wanda Bean, as well as his parents, Inez and Cecil Bean.
Wanda and Roger married in 1960 when they were students at Fort Hays State University. Roger earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from FHSU in 1960 and a Master of Science in Economics and Finance in 1968. Roger worked on the family farm in Coldwater from boyhood and over the summers as a student at Fort Hays, later becoming an economics and history teacher and then pursuing a successful career in agribusiness management and as a grain merchandiser. He was rightly proud of his involvement in many aspects of agriculture and agribusiness. Roger loved conversation about ideas, and was passionately interested in books, art and music, instilling this love in his children.
He was a gifted nature photographer and outdoorsman. He enjoyed many photography excursions with his son, Scott, across Kansas, and offered a repertoire of professional photographs through his Cross2Bar photography website. His passion for photography and the visual arts began in high school, when he shot home movies about life in and around Coldwater. He was proud of being an early personal-use adopter of the technology.
His appreciation for nature was a defining feature of his character. He loved to spend time in Colorado, which he first visited as a teen, helping to hay high meadows near Crestone over the summers. With his family, he returned annually to Colorado to fish and camp during summer vacations. He also camped and fished regularly at Lake Wilson Reservoir in Kansas with his family and his brother-in-law Rolland and family. He loved to fish and hunt (and was a skilled fly-fisherman and enjoyed hunting deer, pheasant, and quail). He cultivated roses and was an outstanding gardener, taking tremendous pleasure in placing and nurturing trees and flowers everywhere he lived.
Roger had a thoughtful engagement with all of the interests and talents of his children - their careers, families, hobbies, etc. He enjoyed visiting with his children about gardening and his son Jerry’s piloting and flying adventures for example. He was centered in his family. He loved to barbecue and was the chef at family gatherings, over holidays, and at Sunday dinners. He loved staying in touch with his grandchildren and great grandchildren through visits, social media and video calls. He loved to play cards with family and friends and was a competitive, knowledgeable bridge player.
He was a life-long Methodist, valuing his role in church leadership in a number of congregations and finding comfort in his Christian faith.
Family was profoundly important to him. He encouraged the interests and careers of his children and grandchildren, supporting them wholeheartedly and cheering their accomplishments. We are eternally grateful to him for his love, care and guidance.
A Celebration of Life for Roger will be held in the future.