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." | 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." |