GREENWOOD, IN.
Kevin M. Bedan, 64, our beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend passed away peacefully January 25, 2023, due to a recent illness. He was surrounded by family and friends who dearly loved him.
Kevin was born in Bargersville, Indiana on April 28, 1958, to Jack Bedan Sr. and Anne Wolfe Bedan. He was the second of four children.
He attended and graduated from Our Lady of the Greenwood School and Church in Greenwood, Indiana in 1972.
Kevin graduated from Center Grove High School in Greenwood in 1976. During his high school career, he played on the varsity basketball team and Center Grove High School’s first undefeated football team. In addition, he was involved in Junior Achievement a business organization, making and selling bottles of a delicious salad dressing.
After high school, he attended and graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, with a degree from the IU Kelly School of business. Kevin also was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity where he held several leadership positions. While in college he persuaded his uncle Robert to take him on a road trip in his 18-wheeler and wrote a folklore paper outlining his experiences. This assignment proved to be fortuitous in Kevin’s future.
After graduating from Indiana University, Kevin moved to Indianapolis, IN and started his career in restaurant management, managing a RAX restaurant. A few years later, he took a position in sales with some of his high school and college classmates.
Eventually, Kevin realized that management and sales were not his career path but decided to head out on the open road. His journey across America in his Uncle Robert’s semi-truck had stuck with him, and he decided to follow in his path and see this country. Thus, Kevin began a long career in truck driving for several firms here in Central Indiana. He established many long-lasting relationships with his colleagues and eventually ended his lifelong career at Brenntag Chemical.
Kevin had many passions and hobbies and loved sharing in these activities with friends and family. He was a master of the grill, and his barbeque was the best you would ever eat. He was a skilled gardener, and regularly helped friends and family with their vegetable patches in addition to his own. In addition, he was an avid birdwatcher and could tell you about the various species of birds. Euchre was Kevin’s primary card game, and he was always a valuable partner as well as a challenging but gracious opponent. He was also skilled in all things “handy.” If something needed to be repaired, replaced, or modified, Kevin knew how to do it or would figure it out quickly to give you a hand. His friends and family knew they could count on him to lend a hand in whatever project they were tackling. Kevin was a huge fan of John Wayne movies and would laugh himself to tears at the Three Stooges, even though he had seen every episode dozens of times. Kevin’s sense of humor was one of his chief characteristics. He punctuated most of his sentences, whether funny or not, with contagious laughter. One could not help but smile when talking with him.
Above all, Kevin loved fishing. He was a master angler and captained many fishing boats and pontoons. His biggest passion, however, was playing host every year for a week at Raccoon Lake for friends and family. He especially loved having his niece, nephews and their friends go boating and fishing with him on the lake. The main event of this annual trip was taking his mother’s euchre club out on the lake, cooking for them, and entertaining this select groups into the wee hours of the night.
He was a long-standing parishioner at Our Lady of the Greenwood Church and also an active member of the Greenwood Knights of Columbus. Kevin volunteered for many activities at the church, especially during the annual parish festival. He was a man of deep and unshakable faith.
Kevin was a profoundly dedicated son to his mother and father. He was always available to help around the house and spent much of his time with them as they aged. He used his excellent cooking skills to provide delicious meals for his aging parents. Spending much of his time in his favorite room, “the garage” grilling or peeling fresh vegetables from the garden he maintained for them. This is perhaps Kevin’s most defining feature: his was a life of service to others. Anyone who knew him, and especially friends and family, knew they could rely on Kevin to devote himself entirely to helping them in whatever way he could.
Survivors include his father Jack Bedan, Sr. of Greenwood, IN; brothers Jack Bedan, Jr (Bettie) of Greenwood, IN and Gregory Bedan of Indianapolis, IN, a sister Kathryn Bedan of Indianapolis, IN; nephew John Bedan (Amber) of Eugene, OR, niece Hannah Hoekzema (Matt) of Cincinnati, OH, nephew Jordan Bedan (Jenny) of Greenwood; great-nephews Theodore Hoekzema, Franklin Hoekzema and Louis M. Hoekzema; surviving relatives include uncle Jim Bedan, aunts Mary Bedan, Carol Lee Woods, Lynne Rude, and Jan McKnew along with cousin Kathleen Harris, Bedan cousins Rick (Fran) Bedan, Penny Bedan, Kelly Bedan and Tracy Bedan.
Visitation will be from 10:30 AM until 12 noon with a funeral mass at noon on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at Our Lady of the Greenwood Church, 335 S Meridian St, Greenwood, IN 46143 (317) 8882861.web site, https://olgreenwood.org/ To see photos of Kevin’s life journey please go to YouTube and type in Kevin Bedan.
Swartz Family Community Mortuary and Memorial Center, 300 South Morton Street, Franklin, IN is handling the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.swartzmortuary.com. Information at 317-738-0202.
