Shirley Ann Bean

On October 6th 2016 Shirley Ann Penland Bean at the age of sixty-nine passed away suddenly from a major heart attack. Some would say it was really a broken heart from losing her husband and best friend of almost fifty years a few short months ago. Mrs. Bean was a lifelong resident of the Dundalk area. She was a proud graduate of Dundalk High School(class of ’64) and a college graduate of The Maryland Institute College of Art (class of ’68). She was a teacher of Fine arts in the Anna Arundel Co. public schools until she retired to raise her son. She was a proud forty –six year member of St. Timothy’s Eve. Lutheran Church, now New Light Eve. Lutheran Church. Mrs. Bean was also a long time member and past matron of Highland Chapter Order of the Eastern Star. She is survived and always remembered by her son Brett Bean. How to explain her broken heart: You see, Shirley was a very talented young artist and was in her first year of art school at MICA and very focused on her school work. Her mother and father were at the American Legion Post 38 when they met a very nice young man. They thought he would be a great match for their single daughter, so her mother dragged this young man back to their home to meet her. He saw Shirley in the back yard of that tiny York way home in a sweatshirt covered in paint and hair in pigtails and cut offs, with the light shining down on her face. It was love at first sight for him. Her mother and father bought them tickets to a dance for later that night for her birthday. She had to pick him up because his car was in the shop and she was forty-five minutes late and he thought she wasn’t coming he would soon learn that this was not a onetime occurrence for the future Mrs. Bean, but it was part of what he loved about her. They danced the night away and by the end of the night she had falling in love with him as while. Little did they know it would lead to a fifty year friendship, a forty-six year marriage and a son that they loved more than anything. She was a devoted wife and mother and there are no words to write how much she will be missed by her son, family and friends. The viewing and funeral will be held at Connelly Funeral Home of Dundalk at 7110 Sollors Point Rd. Dundalk, Md. 21222. The viewing will be on Tuesday October 11th from 3-5 pm and 7-9 pm. There will be an Eastern Star service at 7 pm. The funeral service will be on Wednesday, October 12th, at 10 am. Interment will follow at Meadow Ridge Memorial Gardens. This service will be the first time Shirley will be on time for an event.