Mary Christina Cecelia “Mary Jane” Bean, 93, of Kirkwood, formerly of De Soto, died Nov. 2, 2019, at Manor Grove in Kirkwood. Mrs. Bean was born Nov. 22, 1925, in Little Rock, Ark., the daughter of the late James William and Mary Helen (Snell) Cenac. She graduated from St. Mary’s High School of Little Rock in 1943 and from Charity Hospital’s School of Nursing in 1947, and served in the Nurse Cadet Corps, stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. She was a full-time mother for some years, returning to her nursing career in 1969 as a nursing supervisor at St. Louis University Hospital while earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing. In 1975 she began teaching in the nursing program at Jefferson College and worked as a nursing supervisor at Jefferson Memorial Hospital. She retired in 1997 but remained active with the Jefferson Memorial Hospice Nurses and the Daughters of Isabella at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in De Soto, where she was a member. She also was a member of the Missouri American Nurses Association, and was instrumental in starting the hospice service at JMH. She enjoyed traveling, researching genealogy, spending time with family, gardens, music, and singing, especially “Oh Danny Boy.” She was preceded in death by her husband: I. Terry Bean.
She is survived by three children: Carol (John) Daake of Greeley, Colo., Cheryl (John) Mudd of Webster Groves and Terry (Lorie) Bean of De Soto; a brother: Dr. Tom (Nancy) Cenac; nine grandchildren: Meagan (Scott) Manley, Braeden (Caroline) Battles, Timothy (Christin) Mudd, Michael Mudd, Christina (Paul) Castellano, Kelly (Travis) Rogers, Austin (Katy) Bean, Elizabeth (Edward) Kelley and Caroline (Fred) Walls; and nine great-grandchildren: Barrett Battles, Addison Manley, Juliana Kelley, Logan Walls, Liam Walls, Nigel Walls, Alani Walls, Cecelia Castellano and Madeline Castellano.
She was preceded in death by a brother: James (the late Virginia) Cenac.
Visitation is scheduled from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at Dietrich-Mothershead Funeral Home, 220 N. Main, in De Soto. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov 8, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 504 S. Third St., in De Soto, officiated by Father Alexander Anderson. Burial will follow in the Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum in De Soto. Memorials may be made to Daughters of Isabella Circle 659 or to the Alzheimer’s Association. Arrangements are under the direction of Dietrich-Mothershead Funeral Home.