Hadley Lewis Bean passed away on February 22, 2024, in Montgomery, Alabama, from complications of PSP, a rare degenerative neurological disease. Born March 19, 1944, in Springfield, Ohio, he grew up on a farm near Yellow Springs with his large extended family.
Bean graduated from Yellow Springs High School in 1962 and earned a BS in mathematics and physics from Antioch College in 1968. He began his career teaching science in Dayton public schools before transitioning to computer science. He worked for the United States Air Force as a Department of Defense civilian at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base starting in 1970, then transferred to Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery in 1973, where he served for 37 years until retiring in 2007.
In 1980, Bean married Beverly Shaffer. Known for his generosity, he helped colleagues and neighbors solve complex problems. He built a custom treadmill for a colleague and created the “Bean Machine” — an electronic device combining a TV screen, oscilloscope, and music to produce abstract moving images. He was an accomplished photographer and baker.
Bean and his wife attended the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Montgomery, where they participated in services and social activities. He is survived by his wife Beverly, siblings Rodney, Leslie, and Doris, a stepson, and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. Donations were suggested to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship or Capri Community Film Society.