Bill, Thank you for your contribution to the QEII Foundation and to our community over many years. We appreciate your leadership and the mentorship that you have provided to Dianna over the past number of years. You have inspired her and provided a model to build her career and set a standard to strive toward. Congratulations on your well-earned retirement and look forward to seeing you down the road. -Grant & Geralyn MacDonald

Bill - We will all miss your early morning enthusiasm, incessant scooter bell ringing and hallway chats. On a serious note, you've been the best boss I've ever had. You have a way of making people feel heard - and that's because you truly value the insight of those around you. Wishing you and Sheila the very best in your retirement.

You're awesome Bill, and this initiative is awesome. Happy retirement.

Bill, you were always a pleasure to work with. We had several projects together. Your advice, guidance and support with Strides for Obesity (www.stridesforobesity.com) was truly appreciated. I wish you all the best in retirement. Sincerely, Jim

Congratulations Bill it has been a wonderful journey working with you. Thank you so much for everything, you will be missed. Enjoy your next chapter you have earned it.

You have lead by example; instilling life lessons that extend well beyond the professional setting and into households, families, and communities. Lessons like the importance of keeping your word; seeking truth, and doing what is right even when (especially when) it’s not easy; finding the opportunities to add one thing if you have to remove another; celebrating, thanking, sharing; cultivating the courage to have the difficult conversations, the humility to share lessons learned, and the grace to accept a genuine compliment. Your reach, your personal impact, and your legacy – they grow exponentially through this cohort of leaders and contributors that you have helped to nourish.

All best wishes for a wonderful retirement!

Congratulations Bill and best wishes for a wonderful retirement. Thank you for your sound advice and guidance and for your collaborative nature. You have delivered tremendous impact for health care in Nova Scotia and you have made life better for so many Nova Scotians. On behalf of the Health Care Foundations of Nova Scotia, thank you for your leadership and support. Enjoy every second of retirement my friend, with fair winds and following seas, Steve

Congratulations Bill! You have been an inspiration to us all. Thank you for being the Giant (thanks Dave Carroll) that our community, and I, needed. We have big footsteps to follow but the path you've created will continue to lead to incredible impact for all of us. Truly, thank you.

Bill, congratulations and our very best wishes for your retirement. It has been wonderful working with you and the Foundation team on all our thyroid fund raising events. Your enthusiasm and commitment has been inspirational to those around you. I wish Sheila and yourself a healthy and happy retirement and all the best in the future

So when you are not smiling, you are laughing ! It is your good nature. Your energy, enthusiasm for people and for ideas, optimism, sense of humour, ambition to promote good health, ambition to help people, all have had a terrific impact at the QE11 and far beyond. It will be a lasting impact. You care, and it shows. Elizabeth and I have much enjoyed working with you and sharing your company for all these years.. Being school parents together in Saint Margarets Bay, coaching basketball. raising what seemed a huge amount of funds at the time with Working Miracles, and your help in carrying on Alex"s memory, all this has meant a lot. Sail on good friend. Keep well and keep smiling. Thank you Bill. Elizabeth and I wish you and Sheila many fine days ahead. Fred

Congratulations! I am thrilled for you and Sheila to start the next chapter of your lives. I am sure you will bring the same passion to retirement as you did your career. I will be forever grateful to your leadership, enthusiasm for improving patient care, inspiring innovation, tremendous positivity and your ability to get things done! I have learned a lot from you over the years and I am very thankful and fortunate that I had the opportunity. You have been instrumental in bringing several campaigns and projects, both big and small, to areas in my portfolio that have made a significant difference to both our patients and teams. While the outcome was to improve care for patients and their families, the journey with you and the QEII Foundation Team always had positive outcomes for our teams and as I have said many times like family. We will be forever grateful. I have so many great memories- the annual Comfort & Care, Rehab Endowment , Revitalizing Rehab I, Neuroscience Alliance, Breakfast Club and our phone chats. Hard to believe it is your last day- wishing you all the happiness in the world. Best wishes my friend, Randi

Bill, how satisfying to retire with many successes to remember. You've made a difference at the QEII Foundation. I always felt part of your team, and as the team leader, you made everyone feel important - the hallmark of a great coach! Congratulations and enjoy every minute of your retirement.

With admiration and deep respect for your transformational leadership and ALL you have done to inspire generosity to advance health care at the QEII - thank you so much, Bill. Your guidance, tireless work, your passion and dedication have indeed made a difference with lasting and far-reaching impact for health care in the broader scope and also for the many individuals whose lives you have touched, including mine. You motivate us to find success by striving to be the best version of ourselves. It has been a privilege and an honour to learn from you and work with you. Wishing you and Sheila every happiness as you step into this much deserved next chapter, which will no doubt be full. All the best to you as you retire!

Bill, what can we say. You have worked tirelessly for the QEII Foundation over the past 24 years. Regardless how successful an event was, you wanted it to be better. We believe your vision of bigger and better has helped made the Foundation what it is today. Your leadership and guidance motivates those around you to strive to do more. It has been a pleasure watching you “do what you do best” over the years. We are truly blessed to be in your life and look forward to spending more time with you and Sheila as you enjoy retirement.

To an amazing man and better friend we wish you all the best of luck in your retirement. I have known you since 1963 and have watched you grow and blossom and truly appreciate the friendship that we have maintained over those years. I love you as a brother and we look forward to sharing the next chapter and adventure with you and Sheila. Congratulations.

Bill, You have been an inspiration to me since I first met you when you were Executive Director of BC Special Olympics. Since then we have worked together, laughed together and even sailed together. While we have spent the last two decades on opposite coasts, our friendship has remained strong over the last 30+ years (in spite of your bad jokes). I know this next chapter of your life has great things in store for you. I hope that includes more frequent visits to Vancouver! All the best to you and Sheila and congratulations on an amazing career. Love, Shelley

Enjoy retirement!

So proud of you Bill! I knew you were destined for great thongs. . Oops I mean things!!! I you Bud.....aka Hubs!!xoxo

Happy Retirement Bill!!!

Thank you Bill. It was an absolute pleasure to work under your leadership. Your imprint on the QEII Foundation runs deep and will last a lifetime and more. The impact that was generated and will continue past your retirement is something you should be very proud of. You created something incredible through your passion and dedication to create a better health care experience for any one of us who may need it some day. I do hope you try to take a break. Enjoy retirement and the additional time with your family and friends.

Thanks Bill for many years of critical work for our health care system. I have personally been inspired by working with you and all who you represent. You have been the quintessential leader and have unified all of those good intentions into concrete results which have made an incalculable difference in our province. As a cancer programme we are deeply indebted to you and personally I am in many many ways. Have a good retirement, I am following along soon, Dec 31. You well deserve an excellent new chapter in life and I'm sure Sheila will appreciate seeing a bit more of you. Best regards. Drew

Your impact is far greater than you will ever know. There just isn't enough ways to say thank you. You are a true legend. Kaylee

Congratulations on your well deserved retirement Bill. It has been a pleasure getting to know you on the QE2 foundation board and being witness to the passion you consistently brought to the table. Patients in the Maritimes have benefited immensely from your leadership and your desire to improve health care in the region. I wish you and Sheila a healthy and happy retirement and all the best in the future.

Congratulations to one of the great community builders who has built a legacy of caring, compassion and impact.

Hi Bill Congratulations on your retirement! I know you are looking forward to having more personal time in the future and that’s well deserved. I cannot remember a QEII foundation without Bill Bean. I have a hard time imaging one without you. That said, you have developed the foundation to the point where I am very confident that you (and all of us) will continue to be proud of its work in the future. Sad to see you go but whatever you get up to next, it’s bound to be a great success. All the best, Dave

Congratulations Bill on an outstanding career leading the QEII Foundation. Over the past three decades you have become personally synonymous with the Foundation and the hospital and we couldn't have had a better brand ambassador. You are one of the most energetic and positive people I have ever met - and those attributes, plus lots of skill and hard work, have enabled significant advancements in the quality of health care in Atlantic Canada. Thank you. I try to learn from those I consider successful leaders and from you I have learned that it is possible to move important projects forward through sheer determination and that you'll accomplish a lot more in life by dreaming big than by tweaking the status quo. I hope that you and Sheila have a wonderful retirement together Bill and that we'll get to share an occasional beer at the Shore Club on a Saturday night. Bruce Towler

All the very best!

Bill, It's been an absolute pleasure working with you - thank you for everything! You will be missed SO much! Congratulations and best wishes for a fun-filled, relaxing, and well deserved retirement. Enjoy! :)

Wishing you all the best, Bill, in your retirement. My work with the QEII Foundation will be built on the remarkable foundation you leave behind.

Bill. Thanks for your leadership at the QEII Foundation and in this community. And congratulations on making an impressive impact on our health care system. It's impressive to see what the QEII Foundation has made possible under your leadership. All the best in retirement. Larry

Triple B.!!! There is so much I want to say, but I will try to keep it short. Thank you for your fantastic leadership, kindness, encouragement, positivity, sense of humour, compassion....I could go on. To be honest I wish you were my brother, and then I could have Sheila as my sister-in-law, and I could see you both on a regular basis. OK well I better sign off or who knows how long this message could be! Love, your fan always, Jen Grover

Enjoy life and know that you are looked up to.

Bill, when I first met you over a decade ago, little did I know how much time we would spend together. You are a one-of-a kind force and cheerleader who, by your own energy, devotion and sincerity, brings out the very best in your co-workers, volunteers, donors and stakeholders. As expected, you have handled your transition with grace and professionalism and we know that you will never stray far from the Foundation. You wear your heart on your sleeve and a big sleeve you need ! It's truly been a pleasure and honour to have worked with you for all these years and congratulations to you, Sheila and family on your well-deserved retirement. I look forward to celebrating with you in person. Stay well and InTouch. Warmest regards, Victor

Bill - where do I start? You/we fundraised in earnest for the new HI Emergency Department 2005-09; you/we fundraised for the HI Simulation Centre; you were my sage sanity counsellor while I was District and HI ED chief. You are a visionary, a diplomat, an inspiring leader, a modest enabler of many around you who are invigorated by your unwavering focus to succeed, and above all else, a100% dedication to high quality patient care. Your behind the scenes work has unquestionably saved or altered for the better many thousands of lives. Not too shabby. I can't picture you 'retiring' - I suspect a redirect. You cannot cap that well yet - society still needs your positivity and hard-earned wisdom. Thank you. JR

Bill, it has been so wonderful to work with you. I admire your exceptional leadership skills and endless energy. You have done so much for healthcare in Atlantic Canada. Jason and I wish you and Sheila all of the best. Have fun and enjoy your well-earned retirement!

Bill, Congratulations on your retirement and thank you for welcoming me to the QEII Foundation Board of Trustees. Your leadership has helped so many people! Enjoy your retirement! Best regards, Bill

Bill, Has been a true pleasure to get to know you and Sheila over the last several years. You are leaving a true legacy and high standards for the future to meet. Be nice to catch up with you folks again...maybe we will see you in "the Bay" this summer. Best Wishes Larry & Susan

Thank you for welcoming me into the QE2 Foundation Family. All the best in this new chapter. Enjoy!

Bill you are a one of a kind community leader who is inspirational and also a lot of fun. I have enjoyed getting to know you over the years and hope to see you out and about during your retirement. Stay young my friend!

The QEII Foundation is a much better place for your time and efforts there. You are leaving it in a strong position to carry on the tasks ahead. retirement isn't the end but a new beginning. I found an "anonymous" quote that I will share, "What are you looking forward in the next year? The next ten years? Isn't it exciting to imagine all the possibilities the future holds? Enjoy your new grandbaby. You have much to teach him and now the time to do it.

Bill, Thank you for making me instantly feel like part of the family when I joined the Foundation. You are a great leader who cares about each and every one of the staff. Have an amazing retirement and simply enjoy!

Best wishes on your retirement Bill. When I first joined NCOFE 7 years ago, you were one of the first people to make me feel welcome and part of the group. Your warmth, passion for your cause and generosity of spirit will be long remembered. Good luck in this next chapter of your life!

Congratulations Bill, on a body of work that has had national reverberations. Your humour, generous disposition, and lack of ego belies a volume of outputs, impacts, and outcomes to numerous to list here. Keep a steady back-beat in retirement, brother. All best wishes to you and Shelia!

Hi Bill, Congratulations on your retirement. I wish you and Sheila all the best in this next phase of your life. It has been a privilege working with and learning from you for many years at the Foundation. I will always remember your wonderful leadership and unending enthusiasm. Many thanks for teaching me so much about life, fund raising and philanthropy. Best wishes, Eve

Bill - where did those 24 years go? You've lead us on an incredible journey with so many positive outcomes on patient care. Your kindness, compassion, leadership and sense of humour has been an inspiration. Thank you and best wishes on a happy retirement! Janet

Bill, you have been a strong, dedicated leader to many, a true champion to more, and a special friend! I’ll miss seeing you on your daily downtown walks. From Gerry & I..... Cheers to you and Sheila!! Wishing you many adventurous years ahead. Ann

Bill, you're the real deal. Your brand of community leadership is a model for all to follow: principled, honest, and chock-full of integrity. To say nothing of: irrepressibly optimistic, full of common sense, and just plain great to work with. All the while grounded in empathy for others over all else. Thank you for playing such a profound role in building the gem that is the QEII Foundation.

Bill, I am so grateful to have finished my career working for you at the QEII Foundation. You are an inspiration and you have achieved so much for all Atlantic Canadians through your strong leadership and vision for healthcare at the QEII. The inscription for Sir Christopher Wren at St. Paul's Cathedral in London is an apt one for you. "Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you." As you leave your office I hope you take pride in a job well done.

All the best in your retirement! It was a pleasure to work with such a passionate and inspiring leader. You have made such an impact here in Atlantic Canada. Goodluck to you both in this next chapter of your life!

Bill - well, we have worked together for 17 years to benefit the QEII! And it has been a terrific experience. We learned from each other, got through some challenges and still managed to have fun along the way. Thank you for your 110% dedication to the hospital and to the community at large. Thank you for the tremendous development you have done with your staff - a terrific team! And your unending enthusiasm and positive “we can do it” attitude! I cannot imagine the QEII without you but I know you are at the end of the phone for advice and counsel! Have a wonderful retirement, you richly deserve it! You and Sheila are off to new adventures!

Bill, Over the past seven years, we have gotten to know you not only as the CEO of the QEII Foundation, but as a champion for heart health and as a friend of our family. Your kindness and passion for helping others has a lasting effect on those who have met you. Thank you for everything you have done for our family and our community. Wishing you and Sheila health and happiness in your well deserved retirement, Your friends, The Boyds

Congrats on and Thank You for all the positive impact you have helped to create for countless patients at the QEII. Thanks also for your leadership and care of all those who have had the opportunity to call you a colleague at the QEII Foundation. We are all better for spending time with you.

Bill, you will be missed! Thank you for all what you did for all of us! Enjoy retirement and stay in touch. Wishing you all the best! Wadih and Cathy

In the world of Philanthropy, Bill Bean is a National Treasure. It was strongly recommended that Bill Bean be at the top of my call list as I began in my role of CEO for the SJRH Foundation. Little did I know that that call would lead to a rewarding professional relationship and great friendship. Bill's influence extends well beyond the borders of Nova Scotia, as his mentorship has played a role in the work our Foundation does to advance healthcare in New Brunswick. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation, thank you Bill for a career of helping others and building community.

Bill: your contributions to the health and vitality of communities, whether locally, provincially, or nationally, have been many and admirable. Speaking on behalf of dear colleagues across Canada, we will miss your commitment and passion, your wise insight and quick sense of humour, and your unfailingly generous spirit. Best wishes for health and happiness in your retirement.

I will,always be grateful that you,gave me the opportunity to complete 35 years of fundraising for health care in the Maritimes with the five years at the QEII Foundation. I have been retired since 2008 and I still feel very much a part of the incredible team that you built. All the best as you join the retirees group. Beryl

Bill, I hope this note finds you very well and happy. You have dedicated your life to improving the lives of others. Aside of your success in dollars, the social profit you have created is immeasurable. You and Sheila deserve so much joy, love and freedom in your retirement. Congrats. Hope you get to play more drums now! ~Joanne Bath (aka The Lead Singer)

Hey Titsmo, Congratulations and all the best on your retirement! As Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER.” Or, you could do what I do - stay home and drink lots of coffee. That’s good too! Enjoy! Snarf & Anne

Bill - with you, “everything is possible”. Thank you for your leadership, fearlessness, positivity and GREAT contributions to improving health outcomes for so many in our region. I’ve loved serving on the board and capital campaign with you, raising our kids alongside one another in our community, taking to the water in our shared passion for all-things-sailing...the list goes on. Heartfelt best wishes to Sheila and you as you head into your next exciting chapter. So glad to know we’ll still be seeing you around! Janet MacMillan

Wishing you and Sheila all the very best in your retirement. It has been a pleasure working with you - your boundless energy and 'can do' attitude has enabled the organization make a tremendous impact on the quality of health care in our province. Thank you!

Well William....I can’t believe that it is 23 years since you started this journey. You had an amazing career with the QE2. We had some very interesting times in the beginning. Remember when trying to get rid of the parking and getting the offices out of the basement were your biggest challenges. What wonderful, amazing things you have done since then. Enjoy your next chapter. Best wishes. Kathy

Thank you. Bill! You are an amazing leader! The QEII has benefitted greatly from your passion and the inspiration you provided to all who have been fortunate enough to associate with you and the Foundation. Rob joins me in wishing you and Sheila a long retirement with time and the best of health to enjoy all the things you like to do. I do not expect golf to be among them!

Dear Bill: Long before I joined the Board of Trustees of the QE II Foundation, I admired your incredible energy and dedication to improving healthcare in Nova Scotia (and beyond). As a result of my time on the Board, I have learned that what I observed "from afar" was only the tip of the iceberg and you and your team are relentless (in a good way) in your mission. The Foundation's incredible success under your leadership speaks volumes and will have a widespread and lasting impact for our Region. Congratulations and best wishes for a long, fulfilling, healthy and happy retirement.

well done Bill. superb job looking after the foundation. reitirement well earned."LONG MAY YOUR BIB JIB HOLD"

Congratulations Bill on you retirement and thanks for all of the good memories of working with you and the Foundation Board during my time in Halifax. Keep well!

ill you have been a terrific partner and a great leader in our industry and in the sector over the years. You have made a meaningful, significant and lasting impact on both the QEII, the QEII Foundation and in the Maritime philanthropic marketplace. Your many accomplishments are commendable. It has been a privilege to have worked with you over the past 18 years and I wish you all the best for the future. Best,

Bill, thank you for all that you have done for the QEII, Nova Scotia, and those around you. Your passion and leadership will be missed. Congratulations on your retirement! All the best to you and Sheila!

Bill I was there when you started with QEII Foundation , your hair was darker and I had hair .Your high energy was hard to keep up with and I know your next phase in life will still have that .Retirement is fun Bill , wish Sheila and you the best .

How brilliant to have a fund in your and Sheila’s name to keep on giving

Bill - this message is from your latest brother in law !! Congratulations BRO !! Come around anytime over here - and pick up a key to the house - and hang out with us - of course !!!

Bill, I am glad I hired you in 1996. Great Job.

Bill, I have always been in awe of what you accomplish and how you do it. You have been a wonderful ally of the Emergency Department and it has been much appreciated. Glad to see you retiring in great health and youth!! Best of luck, and stay in touch. Sam

Thanks for everything that you have done for the QEII Bill. Our paths only started crossing recently but I was incredibly impressed by your dedication to the patients of the QEII and by your resilience in moving things forward despite facing serious obstacles.

Bill, You have been a great champion of our work at the Rehab Centre. So many people with disabilities have benefited from your work and that of your team. It's an impressive legacy. We'll miss you.

Hi Bill. Congratulations on your retirement, I think you will love it. Thanks for all your support for the Orthopaedic Division at the QE2 over the years. Best to you and your family.

Dear Bill, You have been a bright, sparkling, energetic, friendly and witty presence at the QEII Foundation from your very first day on the job; solving daily challenges as quickly and effectively as they appeared. You will be greatly missed by all of us!!! Best wishes to you and Sheila for a healthy, happy, busy retirement. You most certainly deserve it!!! Martha and Bruce

Bill, what an inspiration you are--you have left an amazing legacy. Thank-you.

Bill, words cannot express how grateful I am to have met you, worked with you, and been a part of your team. I will always consider myself fortunate to have known you. You are a true ally in every way.

Hello Bill, I am so sad that I will not get to thankyou in person before you retire. I want you to know that seeing and hearing you at the foundation as a working partner has really inspired me to do more in the community. Your caring attitude shines when you speak and I so appreciate how you respond to everyone around you and in the room. I hope you love your retirement , do it all and regret nothing, that’s my motto. You will be glad you did. I hope you get to see more of the world , it gives you gratitude knowing how privileged we are in Atlantic Canada . Health and happiness to you.