Joni Beam

Oak Park has lost one of its greatest fans.

Joni Beam passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Sunday, July 26, at the age of 64. She had lived in her beloved village of Oak Park for almost 40 years while working as a special education teacher for Chicago Public Schools. She lived what some considered a somewhat spartan lifestyle – never owning a car and never buying property. She said she could bike or bus anywhere she needed to go and loved her simple apartments in the Ridgeland district.

Joni grew up in Los Angeles with sisters Debi and Jeannie, and brother David. From an early age she would swim and bodysurf at Santa Monica beach. She never outgrew her love of bright blue water, spending her summers off at Rehm and Ridgeland pools, floating among friends. She also loved to read in summer, sometimes retrieving books from the library every day.

Joni came to the Midwest to attend Moody Bible Institute and focus on urban ministry. She ultimately earned a Masters Degree at the University of Illinois as well as multiple endorsements in addition to special education. She was a passionate, driven teacher. Over the course of her career she reached hundreds of students, using differentiated strategies to help all her students excel.

One of her favorite ways to decompress from the classroom was to vacation in California and “greet” the Pacific each morning. In her brief retirement her travel became more limited. “I just want to go to the pool and to Rockford”, she declared, so she could spend time with her son Alexander, daughter-in-law Lea, and new grandson Franklin.

Many share in Joni’s family’s loss. She was a treasured friend and colleague who offered thoughtful words and a novel perspective when you were troubled. Her humor and intelligence could make any situation better.

Joni lost her father, John Swinburn Hoff in 1982; her mother, Barbara Jean Greenberg in 2007; and her brother, David Harold Kanne, in 2022. She is survived by her son, Alexander Beam (Lea), her grandson Franklin, her sisters Debi Escen (Dean) and Jeannie Hoff; two nieces, three nephews, and two great nieces.

A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, August 21, from 2:30-5:30 p.m. at the Main Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., in the second floor Veterans Room. Along with the pool, OPPL was one of Joni's happiest places.