Christine (Chris) McMillen Bean passed away peacefully on July 11, 2024, surrounded by family in Wrentham, MA. She was born November 11,1920 in Niagara Falls, NY. Her parents, Herbert and Edith (Protzman) McMillen, both West Virginia natives, had found work there. The family soon returned to Morgantown, W. Va. Chris was raised there with her sisters Jean (Baldwin) and Edith (Wilson). She proudly graduated from West Virginia University, Phi Beta Kappa before coming to Massachusetts with her husband, the late Rev. Wallen L. Bean. They settled in Dartmouth after serving several Methodist parishes around the state, where they raised three sons.

Chris taught Home Economics at Dartmouth Middle School before embarking on a four and a half decade long career in art. She became a renowned watercolor artist and teacher (South Coast Artists, Westport Art Group, Rhode Island Watercolor Society, Cape Cod Art Association and Signature Member American Society of Marine Artists). She painted and taught in her studio in Dartmouth and participated in countless art shows and fairs in New England. She lived independently and actively painted until she was over 100 years old.

She is survived by sons Charles W. Bean and his wife Eileen Leahy (Washington D.C.), their son Devin, his wife Gila Singer and their daughter Eva Rose (Brooklyn NY); James C. Bean, his wife Cynthia and their son Nathan (Dartmouth MA); and John D. Bean with his life partner Stephanie Weisz (No. Attleboro MA), his daughter Jessamyn (Greensboro NC) and Stephanie’s daughter Sarah McLanahan and her husband Erik Hinderlie and their daughters Beatrice and Freja (Gloucester MA).

The memorial service will be held at Smith Neck Friends Meeting in Dartmouth, where Chris was a member, on September 22nd at 2:00PM

In lieu of flowers Chris asked that donations be made to either The National Audubon Society, 225 Varick St., 7th floor, New York, NY 10014 or The Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 100, Arlington VA 22203 USA.

Funeral arrangements have been committed to the care of WILSON CHAPEL at AUBERTINE-LOPES FUNERAL HOME, 129 Allen St., New Bedford. For online guestbook, please visit www.aubertine-lopes.com.