Known as Mike to his colleagues and Mr. Bean by students, Michael Beanblossom left a lasting impression on everyone he encountered. He made West Washington High School a special experience for hundreds of students and he was a great friend to dozens of colleagues.
Michael Beanblossom passed away on December 30, 2024 after a life of service to his country, his family and the students of West Washington.
Mr. Beanblossom came into teaching as a second career after a career in the U.S. Army and Indiana National Guard as a Sergeant Airborne Ranger. However, he was a natural from the start and made a huge impact as soon as he joined the Senator Family. His experience in the military was a great asset to his teaching and the school.
"Beanblossom and I started our first year teaching at West Washington together. We were both in the Science Department and our rooms were across the hall from one another. We leaned heavily on each other as we learned how to best teach our students. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to start our experience as teachers at West Washington together." -Duane Nance, West Washington Teacher
"When Mike first came to West Washington, he and I spoke often. He told me about his military experience. At that time, we were working a lot on safety procedures due to school safety concerns across the country. He would talk about how he would respond to certain situation. I had full confidence that he was going to do whatever was necessary to protect our students. He loved the students at West Washington and I knew he would do whatever was necessary to protect every one of them." -Cam Spires, former West Washington Teacher
"I will never forget the first time that I met Mr. Beanblossom. He looked at me and said, 'Do you always dress up like this every day?' I said, 'No, all of my camo was dirty and I didn't have time to get it washed up!' He just laughed and said, 'You and I will get along just fine!' " - Nannette Clements, former West Washington Counselor
To fellow teachers and co-workers Mike was a stalwart friend and confidant. He was gracious with his time and he did not hold grudges or allow disagreements to interfere with the collective goal.
"Let me just say that Mike was one of my best buddies while teaching at West Washington. The laughter and time we shared made me want to come to school every day." -Sarah Leach (Haynes), former West Washington Teacher
"I loved sitting next to him in meetings and talking to him during down time. His wit and dry humor kept school life interesting!" -Kim Chastain, former West Washington Teacher
"Mr. Beanblossom accepted you for who you were. I appreciated his input and he was a wealth of knowledge. With our relationship (admin and teacher), the most admirable quality that I saw in Mike is that he was not offended by disagreements. You could debate things with him and the next day he still had a smile and a handshake waiting for you. He still committed all of his energy to do the best job he could. I have a ton of respect for Mr. Beanblossom." -Keith Nance, Superintendent West Washington
"I always thought Mike had such a great sense of humor. He was a fun co-worker. I have so many fond memories of him." -Gina Rosenbaum, West Washington Teacher
"As a colleague Mike Beanblossom was a man of principle. He worked diligently to teach his students science and life skills. He was adamant that the basic needs and character of his students were paramount to their success in life." -Rhonda Johnson, former West Washington Teacher
To his students, Mr. Bean was firm but fair. He didn't care what you looked like. He didn't care about you background. And he believed in fresh starts. Mr. Bean was clear about what was acceptable in his classroom and was not. He also gave grace for students to redeem themselves. If you had messed up and ended up in trouble, when you returned he treated you the same as every other student. His content knowledge was strong, but his ability to connect with students was his greatest asset.
"As the counselor, I will always remember how willing Mr. Beanblossom was to accommodate his students in any way he could to help them learn. Every time that I walked into his room he would meet me with a smile and say, 'How can I help you today...because there is NO problem that we can't solve together Mrs. Clements'. He taught his students not only biology lessons but I witnessed him teaching them life long lessons time after time. Mr. Beanblossom was a man who stood bold and taught his students the value of their unique strengths, to care about those around you, the need for education and the power of confidence in their daily lives." -Nannette Clements, former West Washington Counselor
"Mike was a guy who would go the extra mile for a student in need. He was always willing to listen and give second chances. The students knew that he genuinely cared for them. They also knew that he was serious about his job and they respected him for that." -Michelle Chastain, former West Washington Teacher
"Mike had a lot of great qualities that made him great for West Washington, but I always believed his greatest quality was how much he cared for our students. He would do anything for his students!" -Duane Nance, West Washington Teacher
"Mr. Beanblossom connected with so many students and they loved him. He was a great part of the staff at West Washington for many years!" -Gina Rosenbaum, West Washington Teacher
"I witnessed Mike take struggling students under his wing and work with them in and out of the classroom to help them succeed. Sometimes his methods were unique but he was 'real' to those students and they respected him for that very reason!" -Rhonda Johnson, former West Washington Teacher
"When I was the assistant principal and Mike would send a student to my office I knew that they had really crossed a line because he generally handled things. I felt confident administering discipline because I knew it was warranted. I also felt very confident that when the student returned Mike would do everything he could to integrate the student back into the fold and give them an opportunity at redemption. He was fair and he was consistent." -Keith Nance, Superintendent West Washington
"Mr. Bean had the biggest impact on me, more than any other teacher. It is not an understatement to say that he saved my life. I would not have been where I am now without him." -Anonymous Student
We would love for former students, parents and co workers to leave their positive memories of Mr. Beanblossom in the comments.