LEBANON — Pam Bean’s love for children shined through in her political priorities as a former Lebanon mayor and New Hampshire House representative as much as in her personal life.
In 1990, Bean, as a Republican state representative, spearheaded a bill that brought child abuse and neglect prevention programs to New Hampshire. Much of her service to the state involved advocating for children through legislation.
“Making sure that kids were taken care of, that was her big thing,” said Kathy Decker, Bean’s daughter.
A majority of the House bills Bean co-sponsored were in the interest of New Hampshire children, with several pushing to strengthen child support, appropriate funds for children in need, establish committees to help women at risk of drug abuse during pregnancy and improve the juvenile justice system.
Bean, who died of dementia at 83 in November, spent her life working to make the world a better place for children as a politician before settling down and focusing her energy on family.
“She made her life count,” said Bean’s daughter Patti Dodds.
Bean was born in 1942 in Rutland, Vt., to the late Charles and Laura Barrett, and was the eldest of five siblings. Bean’s father worked as a grocery store manager and her mother was employed with the New England Telephone Company before being a stay-at-home mom. After moving around a bit, Bean’s family eventually settled in Hartford, where she attended high school.
Being the eldest gave her a chance to learn child care skills early in life.
Bean’s sister, Laurie Rogers, is about 15 years younger than her. Rogers recalls being injured by a storm window that blew onto her while playing outside at the age of 3. Bean, then about 18, held a washcloth to the gash on her sister’s head and took care of her until their mother got home from work.
“We just had a great relationship. I loved her so much,” said Rogers.
She graduated from Hartford High School in 1960 and married Linwood “Skip” Bean, who died in 2023. They met when Pam was working for Skip’s father, Linwood Bean Sr., at a downtown Hanover car dealership. The couple raised three children — Patti, Kathy and Mark — in Lebanon.
“She was really close with her entire extended family, so most of her time was spent with family, and that keeps you busy enough,” said Dodds.
Pam and Skip were married for about 60 years. Skip, a Hanover school administrator, took an active role in bringing their children from place to place as needed so that Pam could participate in local and state government.
“He was very supportive of her political career. It was good. They did things together and they also had their own separate interests,” said Decker.
Rogers was just about 5 years old when the Beans were married and her sister left the house. But the sisters spent a significant amount of time together after Rogers herself got married and started a family. They lived just one mile apart.
“I don’t think I would’ve made it as a stay-at-home mom if she didn’t come down and spend time with me and my daughters,” said Rogers. “She was a great help.”
Bean first got involved in local politics in the early ’70s, Dodds recalled, by running for City Council. She remained on the council for about eight years, serving one year as one of the first female mayors of Lebanon, second only to Shirley Merrill.
“I think she just wanted to make a difference,” said Rogers.
In a “TRY PAM” city council advertisement shared to the Valley News by Rogers, Bean outlined her beliefs, including public decision making, a partnership between the city council and city manager, allowing residents to speak on issues before they’re voted on and establishing and publishing the council’s budget priorities.
In the same flyer, Bean also pointed out concerns in Lebanon, such as “a closed shop council majority,” “exorbitant legal costs,” and the “city charter being circumvented, misinterpreted, and abused.” Her messaging spoke to constituents, who voted Bean into the council, where she remained for eight years.
In 1977, halfway through her time as mayor, Bean, then 35, told the Valley News she was spending 10 hours a week on mayoral duties, double the time she spent as a regular city councilor. While the experience required much mental effort, feedback from the community was inherently positive, she said.
“The elderly seem really thrilled to have a woman as mayor,” Bean said in the interview.
Throughout her time as a House representative starting in the mid-’80s, Bean took on an active role in finding solutions to various youth struggles. She served as chair of the Children, Youth and Juvenile Justice Committee and co-chair of the Oversight Committee on Children’s Issues.
“I’m primarily interested in children’s issues — the prevention of child abuse,” she told the Valley News in November 1994 when she was reelected. At 52, she was a 10-year veteran of the House and served as assistant majority whip.
In addition to Bean’s Act 1227, which the Legislature passed in 1990 to establish a committee to initiate a statewide community-based plan for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, she also co-sponsored several other bills created in the interest of children.
Twenty-six out of the nearly 30 bills that Bean co-sponsored between 1989 and 1996 successfully became law, with the majority seeking to provide more funding for children in need, such as those in foster care or with divorced parents, according to NH General Court online records.
The four co-sponsor bills marked inexpedient to legislate were relative to child support, an appropriation for the health and services of young children, permitting towns to regulate the placement of fill and requiring employers to report to the Department of Employment Security the names of individuals hired or rehired.
A 1991 bill that Bean primarily sponsored to create a bill of rights for children similarly did not pass.
Bean also voted in favor of funding school lunches, allowing parents to form their own charter schools and enforcing laws prohibiting children from smoking, said the Valley News in 1995.
Rogers felt that Bean succeeded in politics because she was open and welcoming to both parties, and overall an easy person to talk to.
“Her passion was children’s issues and so, she worked closely with both the Democrats and Republicans to get some of the bills passed,” said Rogers.
Bean’s political alignment shifted throughout her life. Rogers said Bean started as a Democrat before starting her Republican political career. She re-registered as a Democrat when Barack Obama ran for president in 2008.
Even ahead of her retirement from politics in the late ’90s, Bean made sure to spend time with her growing family.
“She was traveling back and forth to Concord when I was living in New London and she’d stop and see Emily when she was a baby,” said Decker, referring to her daughter who is now 32.
Dodds and Decker said that their mother truly came alive as a grandmother. She adored their children and showed up without fail to every event for her active grandkids — who affectionately refer to her as Gogo.
“She liked her grandkids more than us,” Dodds said.
Emily Woods, one of Bean’s six grandchildren, said her Gogo did not miss a single performance or sporting event, and spent every hour she could attending their various activities.
“If it was a play production that I was in, there were usually three or four runs of it, and she would go to every single one of them,” said Woods.
Dodds feels that the family is politically aware because of Bean’s influence and they share the same priority of family first. Bean’s grandchildren also take after her.
“We all have a little bit of Gogo in us, especially the females in our family,” said Woods.
After ending her tenure in the Statehouse, Bean started a small child care center with her daughter-in-law, Mary Bean. The two took care of about seven children starting in 2007, serving as a resource for children in the community for about four years.
“She always had a soft spot for single moms, and wanted to help,” said Decker.
Bean stayed in the political scene as a volunteer by running the polls in Lebanon during elections for several years following her retirement. Bean loved the excitement of being there on election day and making sure everyone was voting, her daughters said.
“I think it made her feel connected still to the whole political scene,” said Patti Dodds.
Bean was also able to travel during her retirement, especially with Rogers to places such as Disney World — which Bean adored — and South Carolina.
“Once she got out of politics and my children were a bit older, Pam and I went on a lot of great adventures,” said Rogers.
Rogers described Bean as lively and funny, including throughout her later years. Most recently, when Bean’s oldest granddaughter, Chelsea Williamson, had her first son, now 7, Bean did a tap dance for the baby when the Williamsons visited from their Texas home.
When Woods’ twin sons, Ben and Rory, were born about 4.5 years ago, she was living with her grandparents, who were there to welcome them home from the hospital. Woods said her sons have wonderful memories of seeing Bean daily, and she adored them, willing to play even in her later years.
“She was always down on the floor with them. Even when getting on and off the floor was not always the easiest thing for her,” said Woods.
On the final day that Woods visited Bean at Harvest Hill assisted living facility in Lebanon, she brought the children to see her. Though Bean was being bedridden and not completely responsive, her great-grandchildren caught her attention right away.
“As she heard their little voices, she perked right up and was smiling and super aware that they were there,” said Woods.
Decker similarly recalls walking away that day while holding Woods’ third child, Ginny, which prompted Bean to try getting out of bed just to be with her.
“They lit her up, they really did,” said Decker.
