MEMORIAL-RONALD BEAN

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0569

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HR0569
LRB104 16588 LAW 29987 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3
Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former
4
Village President Ronald "Ron" Bean of Park Forest, who passed
5
away in November 2025; and

6

WHEREAS, Ron Bean, the son of William and Camilla Bean,
7
was born in Chicago on March 1943; he was raised with the quiet
8
determination of an individual called to purpose, shaped by
9
the values of his parents; he earned his Juris Doctor from
10
DePaul University College of Law; and

11

WHEREAS, Ron Bean began a legal career that became a
12
springboard for civic transformation; after moving to the
13
Village of Park Forest in 1969, he made history after being
14
elected the first Black village trustee and ultimately its
15
first Black village president, a position he held from 1981 to
16
1986; he guided Park Forest during a pivotal era when the
17
village became one of the nation's first successfully
18
integrated communities, and his tenure was marked by bold
19
initiatives and a belief that communities thrive through
20
collaboration; he championed the redevelopment of Norwood and
21
Blackhawk Centers, advanced early Tax Increment Financing
22
strategies, and helped launch ventures that broadened the
23
village's cultural and social fabric; he also oversaw the

HR0569
- 2 -
LRB104 16588 LAW 29987 r
1
establishment of the professional Park Forest Symphony, later
2
known as the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, along with the
3
senior citizen community Garden House and the PIZZAZZ
4
festival, a celebration of the village's diversity and
5
creativity; and

6

WHEREAS, Ron Bean's influence extended far beyond Park
7
Forest; he served as executive director of the Illinois
8
Development Finance Authority for 15 years, overseeing the
9
issuance of billions in bonds that spurred statewide economic
10
development and job creation; his leadership later proved
11
indispensable at the Community and Economic Development
12
Association of Cook County (CEDA), where he guided the
13
organization through a fiscal restructuring that strengthened
14
its capacity to serve families in need; and

15

WHEREAS, Ron Bean consistently championed educational
16
excellence throughout his life; he became president of
17
Southland College Preparatory Charter High School Board of
18
Directors in 2010, helping build it from the ground up into the
19
top-performing charter high school in Illinois; he also served
20
as president of the SPEED SEJA District 802 Governing Board,
21
spearheading the modernization of its special education
22
facilities to promote life skills, independence, and dignity
23
for students with diverse needs; he served on the Matteson
24
School District 162 Board for more than 30 years, most

HR0569
- 3 -
LRB104 16588 LAW 29987 r
1
recently as president; and

2

WHEREAS, Ron Bean was a consummate servant leader and lent
3
his expertise to numerous boards, including the Bank of
4
Matteson, the Great Lakes Bank, the Illinois Philharmonic
5
Orchestra, Goodman Theatre, the PACE Advisory Board, and the
6
Governors State University (GSU) Foundation; he became the
7
namesake of the Ronald Bean Community Service Scholarship at
8
GSU, a scholarship established in 2009 by his wife, Dr. Sharon
9
G. Bean, to nurture the next generation of public servants and
10
honor students whose dedication to community mirrored his own;
11
and

12

WHEREAS, Ron Bean was a pioneering public servant guided
13
by an unshakable faith, a profound sense of duty, a vision of
14
equity, and a belief that communities rise highest when they
15
rise together; whether navigating complex policy decisions or
16
consoling a community member in hardship, he carried himself
17
with humility, patience, and a certainty that he was guided by
18
a higher purpose; and

19

WHEREAS, Ron Bean carved a legacy defined not by titles
20
nor accolades but by the countless lives his service
21
strengthened and uplifted; he leaves behind a region shaped by
22
his vision, a family fortified by his love, and a legacy that
23
will continue to guide all who believe in service as a way of

HR0569
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LRB104 16588 LAW 29987 r
1
life; and

2

WHEREAS, Ron Bean was preceded in death by his parents and
3
his sister, Camilla Smith; and

4

WHEREAS, Ron Bean is survived by his wife, Dr. Sharon G.
5
Bean; his children, Ronald (Erin) Bean, Karmen Green, Jerold
6
(Jennifer) Bean, Mia (Johnny) Mullins, and Pilar (Brandon)
7
Summerville; their grandchildren, Marlee, Maci, Kayla, Morgan,
8
Myles, Jahlil, Justin, Jade, Zarah, and Braxton; his siblings,
9
William Bean, Birdette (Tom) Terry, and Linda Manning; and his
10
niece, Diedra; therefore, be it

11

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
12
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13
we mourn the passing of former Village President Ronald "Ron"
14
Bean of Park Forest and extend our sincere condolences to his
15
family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
16
further

17

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18
presented to the family of Ron Bean as an expression of our
19
deepest sympathy.

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