Joseph T. Bevan

September 28, 1933 - November 17, 2021

Joseph T. Bevan of Newtown, Connecticut passed away on November 17, 2021, thus concluding a life defined by family, kindness, integrity and achievement. He was 88 years old. Joe was the youngest of four sons born to William and Elizabeth Bevan, of Plains, Pennsylvania. In elementary school, he met a young girl from the neighborhood, Janice Lovering, who became his childhood sweetheart and ultimately, his loving wife of 63 years. Jan passed away in 2019. His accomplished brothers, Bill, Jack and Bob are also deceased. An excellent student and athlete, Joe graduated from Plains High School in 1951 and received a scholarship to attend Emory University, in Atlanta Georgia. At Emory, he was a noted student leader, president of his fraternity and recipient of the Dooley’s Derby award for his outstanding service to the college. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. degree in Psychology in 1955. He later completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School. Joe and Jan married in 1956. Preparing to start their life together, the U.S. Army intervened – drafting Joe into service. He was stationed at multiple bases including the Pentagon before completing his two-year commitment with the rank of Corporal. Upon honorable discharge, he began his professional career as a sales representative for the William S. Merrell Corporation – a pharmaceutical manufacturer that grew through merger into Richardson-Vicks, Inc. (RVI) – a multinational healthcare enterprise. Joe and Jan also started a family with a son, Richard arriving in 1958 and a daughter, Alison in 1959. Joe’s career took his family to six states, as new opportunities emerged through RVI. It eventually led him across the world to work extensively in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and South America. His intelligence, judgment and work ethic made him a natural leader and coach. Progressing through a series of human resources management roles, Joe developed a reputation for fairness, flexibility and innovation. He was particularly adept at helping teams and leaders perform to their potential, always grounded in integrity. Appointed to the senior executive team as Vice President - Personnel Operations, Joe helped lead the company through successful mergers, acquisitions, new product development and workplace evolution. His final assignment involved integrating RVI into Proctor & Gamble, where products like Vicks VapoRub, Nyquil, Oil of Olay and Pantene continue to be worldwide brands. He retired in 1993.

Friends are invited to attend calling hours Saturday December 4, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown.