CONSTANCE AUSTIN BEAN

1928 - 2023

BEAN, Constance Austin Age 95, and longtime resident of Wayland, MA, wife, mother, author and advocate of environmental and women's health issues, died, December 18, 2023. Known affectionately to her friends and family as "Connie," she leaves a daughter, Dr. Carolyn Bean Wagoner, D.D.S. of Charlottesville, VA.; son-in-law, Bill; and two sisters, Natalie Austin of Providence, RI and Sarah Austin Almquist of Red Bank, New Jersey. She was predeceased by her husband, Orville E. Bean in 2019; and her son, David R. Bean in 2022. Born March 25, 1928 in Providence, RI, Constance attended Lincoln High School, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Holyoke College in 1949 and a Master of Public Health degree from Yale University in 1950. A lady of many accomplishments, she attained a private pilot's license at the early age of 16 before embarking on her academic career. She shared her knowledge as a lecturer for five years at Northeastern University and served for 14 years as Coordinator of Health Education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A staunch promoter of women's health issues, Constance was a co-founder of the Boston Association of Childbirth Education, Inc. in 1953, one of the first in the country. She was a pioneer in the introduction of natural childbirth and other reforms into hospital maternity care. While still a teen-ager, she was a volunteer in a hospital "new-born nursery" and saw the need for change. Later, at Yale, she was introduced to their new natural childbirth program, which started her lifelong interest in family centered birth. An active author, Constance published eight books. Her latest book was just released this month, Nine Lives and Counting- A Memoir of Hope, Caring, and Healing, Damianos Publishing, 2023. Previous books included Methods of Childbirth, published in 1972 by Doubleday, Labor and Delivery, An Observer's Diary, Doubleday and Company, 1977; The Better Back Book, Morrow, 1989; Women Murdered by the Men They Loved, Haworth Press, 1992 and Beating Lyme Disease-Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease, AMACON, 2008. Constance was a member of numerous professional organizations to include: The American College Health Association, Education Section and the International Childbirth Education Association. Shortly after her retirement from MIT, Constance was afflicted by Lyme disease in 1993, years before current diagnostic and antibiotic treatment protocols were available. Motivated by her concern for others to receive effective and time sensitive care for this disabling condition, she devoted the remainder of her life to elevating awareness and promoting proper treatment of Lyme through her extensive research, publications and speaking engagements. Possessing a strong sense of civic duty, she served on the Board of Health in her hometown of Wayland for six years and was active in environmental issues throughout her more than sixty years of residence. She was a member of "Dow Neighbors," a local grass roots organization, which worked for ten years to successfully convince corporate leadership to clean and restore a toxic waste site. This effort resulted in the reclamation of 28 acres of conservation land, which is enjoyed by the community to this day. Her family will miss her loving presence as a wife, mother and sister. Her community will miss her determined spirit, an attribute that sought to improve both the quality of life for the individual as well as the common good for all. A gathering of friends and family will be held Saturday, December 23, 2023, at the family home, 15 Timber Lane, Wayland, MA from 1:00-3:00 PM. Arrangements entrusted to the care of the John C. Bryant Funeral Home of WAYLAND.