Clair Bean

Clair L. Bean age 74 of Charles City, IA, died Thursday, October 21, 2021, at the Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 30, 2021, at Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory - Olson Chapel in Nasua with Rev. Nikki Nagel officiating. Inurnment will be held at Greenwood Cemetery in Nashua. Friends may greet the family from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 30, 2021, at the Funeral Home in Nashua prior to the Memorial Service. Clair was born on Oct. 12, 1947, to Leslie and Dovie (Giles) Bean in Nashua, where he grew up and found a love for mechanics at an early age. He received his education at Nashua schools and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1964, serving his country for five years. Clair, who developed into an excellent marksman, served three tours in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and during his final tour, he was wounded when an RPG round hit the base where he worked as a mechanic on trucks and tanks. He rarely talked about his service in the war, but there was little doubt that it changed him both physically because of his wounds and his exposure to Agent Orange and emotionally because of what he experienced and endured in Southeast Asia. After his discharge, Clair returned to Iowa and lived in the Bassett area. He worked for a variety of farmers, doing everything from bailing hay to helping with planting and the harvest, and he remained a top-notch mechanic for much of his life. He loved to go fishing, and he enjoyed hunting rabbits and pheasants back in the day. Clair, though, was most at home under the hood of a car. He never lost his love for tinkering with engines. Clair had six children, 14 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren, and he was especially appreciative of his son, Wayland, and his wife Darla, for sticking by him as his health declined. Clair is survived by his wife, Marcy of Charles City; his children, Kim Bean of Des Moines, Renee (Ruben) Stanbrough of Ionia, Regina (Steve) Rosol of Horton; Wayland (Darla) Bean of Ionia, Derrick (Cassie) Bean of Charles City, and Seth Bean of Charles City; 14 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and a sister, Brenda (Tony) Schweiger of Charles City. He was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Chuck, Bill and Dennis Bean, and Allen Labayre; and two sisters, Carolyn Flores and Lila Junker.