Lucille C. Bean, 99, of Bedford, died on July 16, 2023, after a brief illness.

Mrs. Bean was born in Wakefield, Mass. and was the daughter of the late Edmund and Edith Meuse. She was raised in Wakefield and was a member of Wakefield High School, Class of 1942.

World War II had just started, and Mrs. Bean worked summers at the local defense factories and attended college, earning her degree in education at Salem Teachers College in 1946.  She loved teaching and worked in elementary schools, mostly in Chelmsford.

When the war ended, she met Leonard Bean through relatives in Nova Scotia. They were married on July 29, 1949.

During their married years they enjoyed traveling and were known as the "Traveling Beans". In 1962, they purchased land on Martha's Vineyard and built a new house they called Katama A. Even though they had the new summer home, they traveled to every state in the Union, every province in Canada and faraway places in the North Atlantic and South Pacific. One memorable trip was taken to Egypt to see the pyramids.

Her husband Leonard died in 2002, and she was later predeceased by her daughters, Valerie K. Livingstone in 2001 and Dr. Glynis J. Bean in 2004. Following the deaths of her loved ones, she lived graciously with a smile on her face for everyone.

Mrs. Bean is survived by her grandchildren, Matthew Livingstone and his wife Gabrielle, Evan Scheipers, Reece Thompson and wife Rajee Kanagarvel and Claire Thompson and two great grandchildren, Sam and Leo Livingstone.

Funeral services are private.