Bettye Jo Bean

A longtime member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Bettye loved Jesus and was always concerned for the Salvation of others and their relationship with The Lord. She was born on May 3, 1936, in Sweetwater, Tennessee, to the late Arthur Grady and Vergie Lee Hensley.

A proud graduate of Sweetwater High School, Bettye went on to graduate from the University of Tennessee School of Nursing, where she began a lifelong career devoted to caring for others. Her 42-year tenure at the University of Tennessee Medical Center included numerous positions of leadership and service, culminating in her roles as Head Nurse of the Outpatient Clinic and Ambulatory Surgery.

Bettye was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Eugene Curtis Bean; her sister, Aleyn Hensley Weigert; her brothers, Arthur Grady Hensley Jr. and Claude Lee Hensley; and her parents, Vergie Lee and Arthur Grady Hensley.

She is survived by her sons, Ken Bean and wife Denise, Greg Bean and wife Pat; grandchildren: KJ Bean and wife Nicole, Ryan Rimmer and wife Jessica, Rachel Brewer and husband Ted, Chris Bean and wife Mikala, and Katie Bean; great-grandchildren: Katelyn Rimmer, Maddy Brawley, Elyse Brewer, Laurel Jo Bean, and Adaline Bean.

After retirement Bettye enjoyed continued work at her pleasure as a Contract Nursing Consultant, yearly family trips to the beach, traveling to many destinations to explore the world outside of her East TN home, U.T. Football and Basketball and, doting over her beloved Brussels Griffon pups.

Bettye will be remembered for her compassion, dedication, and the lasting impact she made on the patients, families, and colleagues whose lives she touched throughout her nursing career. Her warmth, strength, and love for her family will continue to inspire all who knew her. She will also be fondly remembered by many each holiday season for her famous gifts of homemade chocolate fudge — which no one else has ever quite been able to recreate — and her delicious snack mix, both made and given with love.

The family will receive friends Thursday, October 30, 2025, between the hours of 5:00 until 7:00 PM in the chapel of Berry Funeral Home, 3704 Chapman Hwy, Knoxville, with a funeral service to begin at 7:00 PM officiated by Rev. Kirby Ownby. The funeral service will be Livestreamed on the Berry Funeral Home Facebook page. Family and friends will meet Friday, October 31, 2025, 12:45 PM at Sherwood Memorial Gardens, Alcoa Hwy, for a 1:00 PM Interment Service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Bettye’s name to St. Jude's Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 .

Online condolences and fond memories may be shared with the Bean family at www.berryfuneralhome.com