Sandra Louise Bean

Our beautiful wife, mother, sister, aunt, and “Nana,” Sandra Louise McEntire Bean, 84, passed away on Friday, March 26, 2021 after a short illness. She left behind a legacy of faith, beauty, and joy that will bless generations. She is survived by her husband Ronald Bean; her sister Sheila Davis (Dennis); her children Kami Jacobsen, Torri Nilson (Rex), Darcy Sefcik (Mark), and Matthew Latimer (Pamela); her stepchildren Roger Bean (Perry), Janell Bean, Brian Bean, and Brett Bean (Julie); and twenty-one grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Sandra was born on December 30, 1936 in Ogden, Utah to Clora Louise Daniels Brown and Gilbert Hegsted McEntire. She and her younger sister, Sheila, grew up around close relatives and friends in the farming community of Farr West, Utah. Sandra loved running between the houses of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins; and felt that this close circle of loved ones made life exciting and fun. Her grandchildren enjoyed her retelling of these adventures and would beg for bedtime stories from Nana. She lived for more than 50 years in the Seattle area and loved living in the Pacific Northwest.

She loved beauty and was a painter, musician, and artist whose lovely creations decorated her home and brought joy to others. She fondly recalled selling flowers from her Grandmother Jenny’s large garden at a roadside stand when she was a little girl, an experience that planted the seeds of her lifelong passion for growing flowers of her own. Many of her grandchildren have enjoyed helping Nana grow sweet peas and other beautiful blooms in her garden. She was awarded several blue ribbons from the “Edmonds in Bloom” festival for the breath-taking flowers spilling out of her home’s window boxes.

For many years, she worked as a paralegal for the Seattle office of the Securities and Exchange Commission where she developed life-long friendships with her professional colleagues, whom she greatly respected and admired. She was a tireless worker who managed to work full-time, get her college degree, serve in church assignments, and raise a growing family all while maintaining her natural beauty and grace. She was relentlessly positive and optimistic. She climbed mountains, kayaked on Puget Sound, free-skied the slopes of Mount Rainier, and conquered professional and physical obstacles with both vigor and aplomb.

Her life revolved around two constants: Family and Faith. She was her children’s fiercest defender and greatest cheerleader and took great joy in sharing their accomplishments with others. She was also the consummate Nana and would regularly babysit, spoil, and rejoice in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She adored her husband Ron, who filled her life with adventure, romance, and fun.

As an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sandra served in many volunteer capacities, including as a Young Women’s and Relief Society leader; and with her friends she organized many plays, musicals, and activities for youth and children. In her later years, she and Ron served two humanitarian missions in Africa where they served as the Country Directors for Uganda and Zimbabwe overseeing the Church’s efforts to provide clean water, wheelchairs, and other life-sustaining resources to local communities. She developed a great love for the people she served and the lands she visited, including Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia. She never missed an opportunity to regale family and friends with stories of her beloved African friends and experiences.

Sandra was a beauty both inside and out. Her indomitable spirit and energy are now at work in other realms – no doubt blessing all those whom she reaches as she has blessed us.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on Thursday, April 1st at 12:00 p.m. at the Harbour Pointe building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 11001 Harbour Pointe Boulevard, Mukilteo, Washington 98275. The service will also be broadcast live via Zoom and can be accessed by clicking on this link.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in her name to the Humanitarian Aid Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Interment will be at Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home and Cemetery in Seattle, Washington.

Zoom Link for Memorial Service:

https://zoom.us/j/94243470475?pwd=bTNVWFAvZG9na2c5Y2tuMmF0enJtdz09

Meeting ID: 942 4347 0475

Passcode: 654321

One tap mobile

+12532158782,,94243470475#,,,,*654321# US (Tacoma)

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Evergreen-Washelli.com for the Bean family.