DOROTHY MAE BEAN

Dorothy Mae Bean, known to many as Earnestine Blackman, was born on January 17, 1947 to Essie Mae Blackman in Shreveport, Louisiana.  She attended Friendship Elementary in Lisbon, Louisiana for six years before attending Pineview High School, also in Lisbon. Dorothy loved basketball and made the team her freshman year as a point guard.  During her senior year in high school, she got married and moved to Dallas, Texas. She completed only the 11th grade, but later received her GED from Manpower Business School and soon afterwards, she attended Mountain View College where she received as Associates Degree in Business Administration.

In Dallas, she earned her Associates Degree in Business Administration from Mountain View College, and worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield for twelve years.  When she began working at Blue Cross Blue Shield, she was clerk/typist, typing address labels, but by the time she left, she was the Senior Supervisor of the Individual Support Unit. After working for Blue Cross Blue Shield for twelve years, she went on to work for UT Southwestern Medical Center as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Anesthesiology Department, for eight more years until her health began to fail. 

In 1999, Dorothy received a heart transplant which, until her passing, made her the longest living heart transplant recipient!  In 2001, she began substitute teaching in Dallas Independent School District, Desoto Independent School District, Lancaster Independent School District, and Duncanville Independent School District.  After seven years of teaching, she finally decided she needed a break and never went back! LOL

Dorothy was a member of the New Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in West Dallas under the leadership of the late, Pastor W.J. Shackelford, for thirty-two years.  She continued with the church for eleven years under the leadership of Pastor Billy Bell, Sr.  She was a dedicated and faithful member of the choir and the hospitality committee.  When she gradually became unable to attend worship service in person, she began partnering with Christian TBN to listen to various preachers, teachers, and inspirational speakers on Sundays, and she continued to give monthly tithes/offering.

Dorothy was also a partner with St. Jude Cancer Research for children and gladly gave monthly donations for the cause.

She leaves to cherish her memories, her two children: LaShonda C. Bean-Lacy and Larry D. Bean; four grandchildren: DeIra Lacy II, Ta’Queisha Janae’ Bean, Shanice Bean, all of Dallas, Texas, and Cambron Bean, of Homer, Louisiana; three great grandchildren:  Kaitlyn Bean, Skylar Bean, and Shamar Bean; three sisters:  Lois J. Dixon (Adolphus), Bonnie Anderson, and Lardell Heard; one brother, Curtis Blackman; one aunt, Mildred Rogers of Oakland, California; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.