Ellis Norman “Beanie” Bean

SOUTH PARIS – Ellis Norman “Beanie” Bean, 93, died on Oct. 23, 2022, at the Maine Veterans’ Home in South Paris. Born on August 25, 1929, in Norway, Maine, he was the oldest child of Ellis Nathaniel and Bessie Corbett Bean. Ellis grew up in South Paris and graduated in 1948 from Paris High School, where he was a standout athlete and president of his class.

While working for a year at Paris Manufacturing to save for college, Ellis started dating Paris High senior Faye Harriman. He majored in math and lettered in baseball at the University of Maine Orono, graduating in 1953, and marrying Faye a week later.

Following a year of teaching and coaching at Winthrop High School, Ellis served two years in the Army, and then changed career paths – earning a pharmacy degree at the University of Connecticut. In 1959, he and Faye settled back in South Paris, where they raised their three children, and Ellis joined his brother-in-law, Hank Harriman, at Ashton’s Drug Store in Norway. After 18 years at Ashton’s, he worked at various pharmacies around the state before retiring in 1992.

He and Faye were grateful to enjoy many happy retirement years traveling around the country and in Europe with daughter Carol and family, and longtime friends Barbara and Erland Penley.

Ellis loved throwing the ball around, and was a fitness buff his entire life – running, walking, and lifting weights. He regularly rode the exercise bike at the Veterans’ Home until a few months ago.

He enjoyed watching “old” movies; listening to music, especially country and western; reading – sports, history and Louis L’Amour – and puttering at camp. Despite years of ribbing, he was a steadfast Yankees fan.

Ellis was married to Faye for 60 years before her death in 2013, and was also predeceased by daughter Carol, and siblings Marion, Keith, Hazel, and Leslie. He is survived by son Michael and wife Jennifer of York, daughter Laura and husband Steve of Brunswick; grandchildren Paul and Seth Tate, Rebecca Tate Harr, and Griffin and Jacob Bean; great-grandchildren Ayva Robinson, Kiersten and Madelyn Tate, and Teagan and Sophie Harr. He was Uncle Juna to several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to give special thanks to the staff at the Maine Veterans’ Home for their care and kindness over the past three years and especially in Ellis’s final days, and to Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice for their additional support.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday, Nov. 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Chandler Funeral Home, 45 Main Street, South Paris. A private memorial service will be held at the Riverside Annex Cemetery in South Paris.