Oak Park has lost one of its greatest fans. Joni Beam, 64, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Sunday, July 26, 2026. She had lived in her beloved village of Oak Park for almost 40 years, 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.
Growing up in Los Angeles with her sisters, Debi and Jeannie, and her 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.
She came to the Midwest to attend Moody Bible Institute and focus on urban ministry, ultimately earning a master’s 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 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.
A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, Aug. 21, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Main Oak Park Public Library (OPPL), 834 Lake St., in the second floor Veterans Room. Along with the pool, OPPL was one of Joni’s happiest places.
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