I. Jay Bean

I. Jay Bean, 87, of Wenatchee, passed away Wednesday, April 4, 2018 surrounded by family. He will be remembered for his naval service, his contributions to the Wenatchee Valley community and its real estate businesses, deep life-long friendships, a large and loving family, a generous and good-humored spirit, and a deeply devoted faith. Life Jay was born July 9, 1930 in Seattle to Irving and Elsie Bean; a younger brother, Richard, followed three years later. The Seattle Hi-Y Club was a source of life-long friends who became core "Supper Club" in Jay's married years. The Bean family spent weekends and summers at the family home ("The Beanery") on Vashon Island. Jay graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1948. He was active in crew, Navy ROTC and the Theta Chi fraternity at Stanford University, where he graduated with a degree in Economics and received his USN officer's commission in 1952. At Stanford, Jay met Carol Susan (Sue) Dutcher of Pasadena, California, and they were married in Seattle on December 10, 1952. Jay was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu for the first time in 1953, where their first daughter, Cici, was born in 1955. He served three years active duty on the USS O'Bannon (DDE 450), serving in carrier task forces in the Sea of Japan during the Korean Conflict, and was soon made Engineering Officer. On his return to Seattle, Jay worked with his father and brother in the family wholesale distribution business, Bean Electric Company. Four more children joined the family, as additional "Bean Sprouts": Martha in 1957, Eric in 1958, Jeff in 1961, and Scott in 1965. Jay continued his naval service in Seattle, having transferred his commission to the US Naval Reserves (USNR). He served on the reserve ship USS Charles E Brannon (DE 446) based at the Naval Reserve Training Station on South Lake Union. The Brannon was returned to active duty during the Berlin Crisis in 1961-62. Though the family returned to Honolulu, his squadron was almost immediately deployed for the whole ninth months to Southeast Asia where his ship patrolled the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Vietnam. Jay served as Commanding Officer of the Brannon (1965-68). He received commendation when the Brannon was deployed, on hours' notice with a skeleton crew, to intercept a Soviet surveillance ship off the Washington coast. He liked to summarize his active service by stating that he never 'fired a shot in anger', although he enjoyed telling stories about gunnery practice. He attended the USN War College and retired from USNR with the rank of Commander in 1972. Sue and Jay moved with their family to Wenatchee in December 1968, with Jay on a two-year business assignment. They fell in love with the Valley and never left. Jay joined Sue in the real estate business in 1976, and together they started Jay Bean, Realtors in 1982, affiliating with John L. Scott in 1994. Jay was awarded Realtor of the Year and served as president of the local board of Realtors and Wenatchee Area Chamber of Commerce. Jay was a faithful and consistent community volunteer blood donor; over six or seven decades, he contributed 172 units to local Red Cross blood drives. He was an enthusiastic volunteer for several organizations, including the Presbyterian church, being ordained as an elder at Bethel Presbyterian Church, Seattle, in 1966, subsequently serving in First Presbyterian (Wenatchee) and most recently within Faith Presbyterian (East Wenatchee). He was an eager Lions Club member in the greater Wenatchee area for over 45 years. In 2002, Jay was the recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellowship award, an honor recognizing a Lions Club member exemplifying the high humanitarian ideals of the Lions. Jay, as a lifelong supporter of our American dream, was an early champion for helping local Latino workers learn English as a second language, serving as a mentor to bilingual community members who were entering the real estate profession, and aiding the efforts of our local Literacy Council. After Sue passed away in 2002, Jay found love again and married Connie Busigin Nelson in November 2005. Reading voraciously, traveling, and visiting with their extended family of children and grandchildren gave Jay tremendous joy in these later years. Survivors Jay is survived by his wife, Connie Busigin Bean; his daughter Cici and husband Randy Asplund of Wenatchee; his daughter Martha Bean and husband Ralph Haugerud; daughter-in-law Marie Bean; son Jeff and wife Sue; and son Scott and wife Jen, all of the Seattle area; and eight "Bean" grandchildren. His surviving stepchildren are Paige (Scott) Parker of Nampa; Blake (Amy) Nelson of Colorado, and Jill and husband Jeff Cordell of The Dalles; four "Nelson/Parker" grandchildren, and his brother Richard, of Edmonds. Jay is also survived by his sister-in-law, Nadine Dutcher, of Washington D.C. His wife Sue passed away in 2002, and son Eric in 2016. The family wishes to express our deep appreciation to Confluence Health's Hospice service, for their care, expertise, and ongoing compassion. In lieu of flowers, Jay's request was for Memorial Contributions in his honor to: "Our House" www.CancerCareNCW.org Wenatchee Central Lions Club, PO Box 135, Wenatchee WA 98807-0135 Memorial Service Details Monday, April 30th, 2:00 pm Faith Presbyterian Church, 200 S. Kentucky Avenue, East Wenatchee, WA 98802

I. Jay Bean

July 9, 1930 - April 4, 2018