Changes

|name=Ronald Clarence "Ron" Bean​

|name=Ronald Clarence "Ron" Bean​

|office=[[Louisiana]] State Senator for<br>District 38 (Caddo and DeSoto parishes)

|office=[[Louisiana]] State Senator for<br>District 38 (Caddo and DeSoto parishes)

|term_start=1992​

|term_start=January 1992​

|term_end=2004​

|term_end=January 2004​

|preceded=Richard G. Neeson​

|preceded=Richard Grady Neeson, Sr.​

|succeeded=Sherri Smith Buffington​

|succeeded=Sherri Smith Buffington​

|birth_date=November 4, 1938​

|birth_date=November 4, 1938​

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In 1995, the conservative [[Christian Coalition]] and [[Family Research Council]] attempted to unseat Bean's bid for a third term in the nonpartisan blanket primary. In the first round, Bean led with 15,044 votes (49.6 percent) to 12,636 ballots (41.7 percent) for fellow Republican Judy Dawson Boykin (born 1952), a member of the Caddo Parish School Board. A third candidate, Democrat Jim Crowley, polled 2,652 votes (8.7 percent). In the general election, Bean was a narrow winner: 16,550 (50.8 percent) to Boykin's 15,995 (49.2 percent).​

In 1995, the conservative [[Christian Coalition]] and [[Family Research Council]] attempted to unseat Bean's bid for a third term in the nonpartisan blanket primary. In the first round, Bean led with 15,044 votes (49.6 percent) to 12,636 ballots (41.7 percent) for fellow Republican Judy Dawson Boykin (born 1952), a member of the Caddo Parish School Board. A third candidate, Democrat Jim Crowley, polled 2,652 votes (8.7 percent). In the general election, Bean was a narrow winner: 16,550 (50.8 percent) to Boykin's 15,995 (49.2 percent).​

 

In 1999, Bean overwhelmed fellow Republican Daniel Eugene "Dan" Perkins (born 1953), another candidate of the Religious Right, backed by the Shreveport pastor [[Billy McCormack]], one of the national directors of the Christian Coalition. Bean polled 17,866 ballots (71 percent) to Perkins's 7,368 (29 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 23, 1999.</ref> The defeat of Perkins was Bean's last victory and by far his most convincing. Health problems forbade his running again in 2003, when he was succeeded by his legislative aide and fellow Republican, Sherri Smith Cheek  Buffington, another Moderate Republican long opposed by the "Religious Right" but never defeated.​

In 1999, Bean overwhelmed fellow Republican Daniel Eugene "Dan" Perkins (born 1953), another candidate of the Religious Right, backed by the Shreveport pastor [[Billy McCormack]], one of the national directors of the Christian Coalition. Bean polled 17,866 ballots (71 percent) to Perkins's 7,368 (29 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 23, 1999.</ref> The defeat of Perkins was Bean's last victory and by far his most convincing. Health problems forbade his running again in 2003, when he was succeeded by his legislative aide and fellow Republican, Sherri Smith Cheek  Buffington, another Moderate Republican long opposed by the "Religious Right" but never defeated.

 

"He's got an 'R' behind his name and I've got a 'D' behind mine, but that didn't mean a thing," said Don Kelly, whose apartment was next to Bean's in the Pentagon, which houses legislators in Baton Rouge not far from the Capitol. "Ron was out to do what was right. He didn't follow this philosophy or that; he'd look at something, analyze it, and then do what's best for his constituents and what's best for Louisiana."​

"He's got an 'R' behind his name and I've got a 'D' behind mine, but that didn't mean a thing," said Don Kelly, whose apartment was next to Bean's in the Pentagon, which houses legislators in Baton Rouge not far from the Capitol. "Ron was out to do what was right. He didn't follow this philosophy or that; he'd look at something, analyze it, and then do what's best for his constituents and what's best for Louisiana."​

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==Loss of his son==​

==Loss of his son==​

Bean lost his only son, John E. Bean (1961-2000), the victim of a traffic accident. Sherri Buffington said that Bean didn't "break down" until after he left the hospital, where he'd been "trying to take care of John's children and his daughter-in-law."​

Bean lost his only son, John E. Bean (1961-2000), the victim of a traffic accident. Sherri Buffington said that Bean didn't "break down" until after he left the hospital, where he'd been "trying to take care of John's children and his daughter-in-law … I think one of the most defining statements I ever heard him make was when we were driving away and he was crying," said Buffington, after talking of how close the father and son were. "He said, 'I have to remember that for forty years I've had what some people never have in a lifetime.' That's Ron. He was always able to take a negative and make something positive out of it."​

"I think one of the most defining statements I ever heard him make was when we were driving away and he was crying," said Buffington, after talking of how close the father and son were. "He said, 'I have to remember that for forty years I've had what some people never have in a lifetime.' That's Ron. He was always able to take a negative and make something positive out of it."​

Bean's nephew, Adrian Johngene Bean, Jr. (1947-2006), was also a U.S. Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He also flew helicopters offshore to oil rigs, and with his wife, Jan, owned and operated  Herby-K's Restaurant in Shreveport.  Adrian Bean was shot down three times while serving as a medevac pilot. In one mission in which he escaped, he and his crew were rescued  by an Army helicopter.<ref>{{cite web|url=

Bean's nephew, Adrian Johngene Bean, Jr. (1947-2006), was also a U.S. Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He also flew helicopters offshore to oil rigs, and with his wife, Jan, owned and operated  Herby-K's Restaurant in Shreveport.  Adrian Bean was shot down three times while serving as a medevac pilot. In one mission in which he escaped, he and his crew were rescued  by an Army helicopter.<ref>{{cite web|url=

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?pid=18714877|title=Adrian Johngene "John" Bean, Jr.|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=August 1, 2006|accessdate=December 31, 2020}}</ref>

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?pid=18714877|title=Adrian Johngene "John" Bean, Jr.|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=August 1, 2006|accessdate=December 31, 2020}}</ref>

 

Bean was survived by his wife, Carol Grady Bean (born 1946), and a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Bean of Shreveport. His funeral was held in the temporary quarters of Summer Grove Baptist Church<ref name=ksla/> in South Park Mall in Shreveport, with his former pastor, [[Wayne DuBose]], officiating. One of the speakers, Huntington Blair "Hunt" Downer, Jr. (born 1946), a brigadier general of the Louisiana Army National Guard, a former [[Speaker]] of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and a failed 2003 [[Governor|gubernatorial]] candidate noted that Bean had risked his life to save nearly all of the men otherwise doomed in the helicopter crash. He presented a flag to Carol and Mary Bean.​

Bean was survived by his wife, Carol Grady Bean (born 1946), and a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Bean of Shreveport. His funeral was held in the temporary quarters of Summer Grove Baptist Church<ref name=ksla/> in South Park Mall in Shreveport, with his former pastor, [[Wayne DuBose]], officiating. One of the speakers, Huntington Blair "Hunt" Downer, Jr. (born 1946), a brigadier general of the Louisiana Army National Guard, a former [[Speaker]] of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and a failed 2003 [[Governor|gubernatorial]] candidate noted that Bean had risked his life to save nearly all of the men otherwise doomed in the helicopter crash. He presented a flag to Carol and Mary Bean.​