[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 11511-11512]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               ROBERT A. BEAN: A LIFETIME OF CONTRIBUTION

  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I join the Senate community in mourning the 
loss of a long-time friend and colleague Robert A. Bean. Throughout his 
life, Bob was a hard worker, devoted to public service and a man of 
great integrity and character. Bob began his public service career as a 
congressional page at the young age of 15. Many promotions and two 
decades later, he continued to help the U.S. Senate run smoothly. 
During these years, Bob forged countless friendships with those around 
him and made immeasurable contributions to the community.
  Each and every day, Bob went above and beyond the call of duty to 
help

[[Page 11512]]

Members of Congress, staff members and Capitol visitors find their way, 
whether it was through complex parliamentary procedure or to the 
nearest elevator in the Capitol. His vast knowledge of the Senate's 
operations was garnered from decades of public service. Following Bob's 
days as a page, he served in the Democratic cloakroom, and was later 
promoted to deputy sergeant-at-arms, deputy assistant undersecretary of 
legislative affairs at the Department of the Treasury, and Democratic 
staff director for the Committee on House Administration. Bob retired 
from the Hill in 2002, having accrued enough years of service to make 
him eligible for retirement. Too young and active, however, Bob 
returned to work just months later at the Jefferson Consulting Group, 
where he quickly made a name for himself.
  My dad, former Senator David Pryor, first met Bob during page school 
and saw in him the same quality as everyone else: a passion to help 
others. Throughout the years, they remained close friends. Bob traveled 
to Arkansas to campaign several times for my dad, and later he joined 
me in Little Rock on the campaign trail. Even with all his 
qualifications and prestige, no job was too small. I remember him 
canvassing in the Arkansas heat, stuffing envelopes and hammering yard 
signs into the ground. And no job was too big or difficult. Following 
my campaign, Bob helped me coordinate inauguration events and setup my 
office, and he helped orient a number of my staff members who were new 
to Washington and the Senate. His willingness to do anything for 
anybody at anytime is what made Bob loved by so many.
  Jim English, a former assistant Secretary of the Senate, said Bob was 
``the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back. He was 
a man with loyalty to the Senate and to his friends.''
  Longtime friend Bill Norton who worked with Bob in the cloakroom and 
earlier as a page added, ``Bob loved Congress as an institution; those 
were his happiest days.''
  While he took his work seriously, Bob was also known to enjoy his 
weekends with friends and family on the Margaret B while fishing on the 
Chesapeake. It was on such a day when Captain Bob was enjoying the 
afternoon on his boat, having just caught a 36-inch striper, when God 
chose to take Bob home.
  Bob was also a devoted family man. As good as a friend he was to us, 
Bob was an even better son, brother and uncle. I want to express my 
deepest condolences to the Bean family: his mother Margaret; brothers, 
John, Kenneth and Brian; sister-in-law Patti; niece Rachel and nephew 
Christian.
  Bob's commitment to service provides inspiration to us all. We will 
miss Bob Bean. We will remember him well. We will celebrate his life, 
and we will try to live up to his dedication and generosity.

                          ____________________