James Bean III

Dr. James Daniel Bean III
Dr. Bean, 76, died Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at his home in Fort Mill, SC. He was born September 19, 1947, in Columbia, SC, the son of the late Gertrude Gordon Bean and the late James Daniel Bean Jr. Dr. Bean grew up in Springfield, SC, as did many of his relatives. The Bean family was one of the founding families of the town.
Dr. Bean received a Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude) in German language and literature from the University of South Carolina (1969) and was selected for membership in the honorary scholarship society Phi Beta Kappa (1968). Dr. Bean went on to achieve the Master of Arts (1971) and the Doctorate of Philosophy in German literature from Johns Hopkins University (1976). Upon completion of preliminary courses for his doctorate, he taught German and French at Miami Norland Senior High School in Miami, Florida. He began teaching English in Essen, Germany at the Gymnasium am Stoppenberg advanced high school (1975-1976) and at the Luisenschule advanced high school (1976-1977).
In 1976, Dr. Bean began teaching business English, legal English, German to English translation, English grammar, communication skills, reading comprehension and textual analysis courses at the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany (1977-2005). His courses in English translation were very popular due to his ability to make a challenging subject fascinating. He also developed and taught literature courses on a broad spectrum of topics including major American and British writers, poetry analysis, introduction to literary theory and methodology, and theory and practice of American short stories. Dr. Bean was especially passionate about musical theater and found time to annotate several English language works for German students such as West Side Story and Kiss Me, Kate as well as the novel The Remains of the Day. He was well liked by staff members and students and was known for his enthusiasm, sense of humor, reliability, and patience.
In 2005, he returned to the U.S. to offer support to his mother, niece and sister-in-law when his brother, Joseph Gordon Bean, was diagnosed with cancer. After his brother died in 2005, he stayed in the U.S. with his mother to help her for the next eight years until her death. Dr. Bean began teaching German at Charlotte Latin School in 2006 and eventually joined the Learning Resources team which allowed him to provide one-on-one academic support to countless students. Dr. Bean served the Upper School for 18 years. Even after his retirement in 2023, he continued to contribute as a substitute teacher. He was a treasured faculty member, senior class advisor, colleague, and friend. He positively influenced the lives of many people within and beyond the Charlotte Latin community. Over the years, he was recognized with the Jane Bratton Spratt Award for his excellence in teaching, and the Kim Mullery Water Carrier Award for his dedication to students and was inducted into the Edward J. Fox Chapter of the Cum Laude Society. When inducted into Cum Laude, Dr. Bean was characterized as "one of the most learned among the faculty, who works tirelessly to help students for whom school is a struggle, find opportunities with compassion and patience born from being, in the truest sense of the words, a scholar and a gentleman."
Dr. Bean was devoted to his family and friends. He was a faithful member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church. He is survived by his niece, Leah Faye Bean, of Austin, TX; sister-in-law, Dana Lyons Bean of Greer, SC; and a number of cousins in SC and NC. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church 7095 Waxhaw Hwy, Lancaster, SC, Wednesday, March, 27, 2024, at 12 pm, with Fr. Jeffrey Kirby as celebrant. Memorials in honor of Dr. Bean may be made to Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.