Richard "Gus" Steven Bean was born in Wichita, Kansas on July 2, 1956, to Daphne (Westwood) and William Alexander and later adopted by Bruce Bean and Catherine (Brewer) Baker. He is survived by his wife of 45 years Melody (Bohrer), daughters Sarah (Andy) Thompson, Andrea (Brandon) Jewett, Kayla, sons Rodney, and Michael (Rachel) Bean, five grandchildren, Elise, Riley, Zachary, Grace and Luna Mae, his mother Catherine Baker, as well as numerous siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He attended Aurora West High School where he played basketball and earned the nickname Gus, a name that stuck with him throughout his entire life. He also attended Central Bible College and then Evangel University, where he met Melody. Married in Illinois in 1978, the Bean family moved to Overland Park, Kansas when Gus took a management job at McDonalds. After working in restaurant management for many years, he moved into home remodeling and repair, eventually having his own remodeling business. Gus always turned a stranger into a friend. His favorite question to ask was "where are you from?" and from there he would find a connection. His life was marked by compassion, a persistent positivity, and even in the throes of cancer, he took comfort in his trust in the Lord. He took joy in the little things, always saying "we don't know what the days hold, but we will take it one day at a time and we will trust in the Lord. " He lived his life with wonder and joy and taught us that you don't just cherish life at the end, but that you cherish it always, in all the small moments, cherishing every second. He never asked a question he didn't genuinely want to know the answer to and he would remember conversations and people and check back in with them, even if years had passed. He was gregarious and loved to joke, tease, and play pranks, always bringing a smile to others. He was a storyteller who would share his recurring stories with you and get a kick out of sharing a new joke or laugh. He lived in the world of the possible with reality only occasionally catching up with him. Gus was a force of love in the world and one of the most selfless human beings ever. He loved to serve and lived out his faith by volunteering, which he did with his church, coaching basketball, Boy Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, or helping his family and friends with home repair. If you asked Gus to do something, his first (and second and third) response was an unhesitating yes. He was an enthusiastic supporter of everyone he knew and wanted people to know that it didn't matter what was in your past and that he would be the greatest champion for your future. Gus was an avid outdoorsman and loved to fish and camp. Much to his chagrin, he had three daughters who did not love the outdoors. Even so, he enthusiastically became a loyal and supportive choir, theater, and color guard dad. To his delight, his son joined Boy Scouts, and the two enjoyed many camping trips and hiking at Philmont. Even after his son had graduated from Boy Scouts, he continued assisting with Scout Troop 257. A fellow scout joked that he must hold the record for most trailer hauls on campouts! A dream he held onto until the end was to have a camp for kids to experience the outdoors and learn about fishing and boating. He also delighted in his sons-in-law, who were avid sports fans, and loved to take them out for barbeque and sports talk. His grandchildren were his greatest joy. He could often be found wherever they were, feeding them sweets, helping them play jokes and tease family, buying them slushies at Quick Trip, or taking them to what they called "The Man Stores" (Home Depot, Bass Pro Shop or Scheels). He was incredibly proud of his family, lighting up whenever he was around them, and would tell anyone he met everything about his kids and grandkids. Gus was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He would call you every day, even if he had just seen you or talked to you not long before. He said "we don't know how much time we have on this world and I want to make sure I tell the people I love that I love them every day. " He was tenderhearted and insightful and lived with joy and a smile until the end. The family would like to say a special thank you to Dr. Iqbal, the staff at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center, the KU Med Oncology team, especially Dr. Abdallah, and the KU Med Interventional Radiology Team for all of their support and care over the past three years. A memorial service for Gus will be held at Lenexa Baptist Church 15320 W 87th St Pkwy, Lenexa, KS, on March 31. Visitation will be held at 1pm, with a service to follow at 2pm. The family invites friends and family to a celebration of life gathering to share memories and stories at The Lenexa Community Center 13420 Oak St, Lenexa, KS, on March 31 from 4:30-7pm. Memorial donations may be made in Gus's name to the International Multiple Myeloma Foundation and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society who have been a tremendous support to the family the past three years. Celebration Of Life 03/31/2023 1:00 PM Lenexa Baptist Church 15320 W. 87th St Lenexa, KS 66216 Reception 03/31/2023 4:30 PM Lenexa Community Center 13420 Oak St Lenexa, KS 66216